“Valuable items, including a 102cm Plasma television set and a radio were stolen and the deceased opened a case with the police and told them he suspected Maguma,” said Tyali.
He added that on the night of March 17 that year, the deceased was having drinks with friends at Barumba Tavern when he told one of his friends not to speak to Maguma and Nozajwe because they had stolen from him.
“An argument ensued between the deceased and his two would-be killers resulting in Nozajwe pointing a firearm at the deceased.
“The manager of the tavern managed to disarm Nozajwe but later gave back the firearm to him when the argument had seemed to die down. Nozajwe handed the firearm to Maguma who then shot the deceased inside the tavern’s VIP lounge, in full view of other patrons, and exited.
“He returned a short while later and found that the deceased was still alive, and shot him twice, killing him,” said Tyali.
Police investigations later confirmed that it was Maguma who broke into the house of the deceased. The murder weapon was recovered hidden inside the bonnet of a Golf motor vehicle, which Nozajwe claimed to be his, but police investigations found it to be a stolen vehicle.
The firearm had also been stolen from a house in Qunu village near Mthatha during a house robbery a month earlier.
Life terms for tavern killers
Mthatha court judge sends pair who shot, killed patron to prison for good
Image: FILE
The Mthatha High Court on Friday sentenced Andile Maguma and Sonwabo Nozajwe to life imprisonment after finding them guilty of murder following the killing of a patron inside a crowded Mthatha tavern six years ago.
Maguma, 37, was sentenced to life on a count of murder, two years for theft and three years for possession of a firearm with intent to commit an offence.
In addition to the life term for murder, Nozajwe, 35, was sentenced to three years imprisonment for possession of a firearm and ammunition and 12 months for possession of stolen property.
NPA spokesperson Luxolo Tyali said the court ordered all sentences to run concurrently with the life sentence while further declaring the pair unfit to possess a firearm.
“Evidence presented in court is that the convicted murderers were friends with the deceased. On 9 February 2012, there was a housebreaking and theft at a house in Ikhwezi Township in Mthatha, where the deceased and another man resided.
“Valuable items, including a 102cm Plasma television set and a radio were stolen and the deceased opened a case with the police and told them he suspected Maguma,” said Tyali.
He added that on the night of March 17 that year, the deceased was having drinks with friends at Barumba Tavern when he told one of his friends not to speak to Maguma and Nozajwe because they had stolen from him.
“An argument ensued between the deceased and his two would-be killers resulting in Nozajwe pointing a firearm at the deceased.
“The manager of the tavern managed to disarm Nozajwe but later gave back the firearm to him when the argument had seemed to die down. Nozajwe handed the firearm to Maguma who then shot the deceased inside the tavern’s VIP lounge, in full view of other patrons, and exited.
“He returned a short while later and found that the deceased was still alive, and shot him twice, killing him,” said Tyali.
Police investigations later confirmed that it was Maguma who broke into the house of the deceased. The murder weapon was recovered hidden inside the bonnet of a Golf motor vehicle, which Nozajwe claimed to be his, but police investigations found it to be a stolen vehicle.
The firearm had also been stolen from a house in Qunu village near Mthatha during a house robbery a month earlier.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Register (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Trending Now
Latest Videos