EC man given life in jail for murder and robbery

The Eastern Cape high court in Ntabankulu sentenced Sanelisiwe Phiwani, 23, to two  terms of life imprisonment plus 15 years, for murder, and robbery with aggravating circumstances, as well as 10 years for defeating the ends of justice and five years for kidnapping. The court ordered that the other sentences run concurrently with the life sentence for murder.

In September 2020 Phiwani received an “order” from a person in KwaBhaca wanting to buy a stolen VW Polo. He and his accomplice made plans to rob “easy targets” around Mount Fletcher. They met the deceased, driving her black VW Polo, to whom Phiwani proposed love and they exchanged cell phone numbers. On 13 September 2020, Phiwani lured her to Showini Location, outside town, by pretending to have had a breakdown with his own vehicle.

Upon her arrival on the spot where he was waiting, they tied her up with a rope, strangled her to death and put her body in the boot of her car. They then drove more than 150km to KwaBhaca, where they buried her in a shallow grave near Tina River. While still searching for the buyer of the vehicle, they were arrested by the police inside the deceased’s vehicle, still in possession of her bank cards and three cellphones. Her body was recovered by police after it was pointed out by Phiwani and his accomplice.

Phiwani pleaded not guilty. His accomplice pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 20 years.