LOCKED UP FOR LIFE
A PAROLEE who murdered a female student and stuffed her body inside a cardboard box inside his shack in eSikhaleni last year, is likely to spend the remainder of his days in a cell after being found guilty of murder and kidnapping in the Mtunzini High Court on Tuesday.
Bhekuyise Mngoma (52) was sentenced to life imprisonment for murder and five years for kidnapping.
Mngoma was charged after the body of thirdyear University of Zululand (Unizulu) law student, Lethukuthula Ngobese (21), was found in a semidecomposed state inside his dwelling in August.
The student had been reported missing after she was last seen partying with friends in eSikhaleni.
Police conducted the search at Mngoma’s house after they were alerted about a terrible odour emanating from the shack four days after the student’s disappearance.
The body had multiple stab wounds.
After Mngoma’s arrest police discovered he was a parolee who had served lengthy jail times for murder, rape and armed robbery.
During the court case, Mngoma requested the court not to grant him bail as he feared for his
life. Last year has been a dark one for Unizulu with 17 students’ deaths reported.
The deaths were from both natural and unnatural causes. Among the cases was the death of student Cebolenkosi Nqoko (23) in March, who died following a stabbing incident outside a Richards Bay CBD night spot. Final year student Nqobile Ngema was shot six times while on her way to her off-campus residence, and Sibusiso Dubazane was stabbed and died on campus In November last year, the university held a mass prayer meeting to seek God’s intervention to avert the ‘bad omen’ believed to have been sweeping through the institution.