School principal killers sentenced
THE killers of school principal Muziwake Sibiya were sentenced by the Pietermaritzburg High Court on Monday.
Sibonelo Prince Sikhakhane (30) and Philani Clifford Ntuli (36) were each handed 25 years for murder and 15 years for robbery in connection with the February attack.
Sibiya was principal at Mqiniseni High School in Nongoma, where Sikhakhane had worked as a teacher's assistant.
In his plea, Sikhakhane told the court he was overworked and blamed Sibiya, so he resigned from his position and planned his revenge, which included murder and robbery.
Sikhakhane recruited his friend Philani Ntuli to assist him.
He told the High Court that, on the day of the incident, he called Sibiya to request a lift to Nongoma for himself and Ntuli.
They met at Ulundi Plaza and, while travelling along the R66, Sikhakhane asked Sibiya to stop at the roadside so he could urinate.
When he got out of the car, Ntuli pulled his firearm and fatally shot Sibiya in the chest. They stole his cellphone, tablet and laptop, and fled on foot.
Senior state advocate Mbongeni Mthembu handed the court a Victim Impact Statement compiled by Sibiya’s brother, Mzwandile.
In his statement, Mzwandile said his brother was a good person and the family relied on him, as he had a stable government job. The family is now adversely affected by his death. In sentencing Sikhakhane and Ntuli for murder, the court deviated from the minimum sentence of life imprisonment as the killers had no previous charges and were found to be remorseful.
They will each serve an effective 25 years imprisonment with the sentences running concurrently.