South Africa: SAPS Welcomes Ruling in Richmond Municipal Manager Murder Case

2 July 2025
SAnews.gov.za (Tshwane)

The South African Police Service (SAPS) has welcomed the judgment by the Pietermaritzburg High Court which found Sabelo Phewa guilty of murdering the late Richmond Local Municipality Manager, Sibusiso Sithole.

Sentencing is expected to take place on 31 July 2025, at the Durban High Court.

Sithole was shot and killed at the Richmond licensing office in 2017 while on his way to attend a meeting with the then council to discuss issues he was investigating, which included fraud and corruption involving tenders and kickbacks in the municipality.

The SAPS Political Killings task team took over investigations in 2018 and this led to the arrest of Phewa.

"The firearm found in his possession at the time of his arrest was found to be linked to several other murders, including that of Amos Ngcobo, whose wife had ordered the hit. The wife turned State witness and was sentenced to five years imprisonment," SAPS said in a statement.

the Pietermaritzburg High Court found Phewa guilty of the murder of Sithole and Ngcobo; the attempted murder of police officers at the time they were effecting his arrest; possession of an unlicensed firearm, and unlawful possession of ammunition.

Read the original article on SAnews.gov.za.

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