Staff Reporter.
The five killers of Rhythm City actor Dumisani Masilela were each sentenced to life imprisonment for what the judge described a cold-blooded murder.
Apart from receiving the ultimate sentence, the five were also sentenced to various jail sentences ranging between 30 and 40 years for the other charges on which they were convicted.
These ranged from robbery to kidnapping and concerned incidents unrelated to that of Masilela in which they hijacked various victims and took their vehicles.
Judge Papi Mosopa said that none of the accused showed any remorse for what they had done. Three of the five had previous convictions and the judge commented that it did not seem as if they had learned from their mistakes.
Khumbuzo Solomon Mukhaba, 31, the man who pulled the trigger which killed Masilela in February 2017 in Tembisa and his four co-accused, Sfundo Harrison Nkosi 34, of Ivory Park, Bongani John Masombuka, 38, of Tembisa, Brian Makhubedu, 28, and Mashudu Malema, 35, all of Ivory Park, all pleaded not guilty to the charges.
While Mukhaba was the one who actually shot Masilela, the others were convicted of murder on the doctrine of common purpose.
Masilela was shot in broad daylight in Tembisa while the gang were on a hijacking spree. He, however, managed to drive on after he was shot.
He was with his friend Bongani Nkosi at the time.
The two switched places shortly after the shooting and Nkosi drove his friend to the hospital. Masilela died the following day.
Masilela’s mother Sabatha Masilela earlier told the court that she was so heartbroken by her son’s death, that she could not resume her teaching job. Masilela visited his mother shortly before his death and told her that he and Nkosi were quickly going to Tembisa.
Judge Mosopa commented that little did the mother know that she was never going to see her son again. The judge said none of the accused were poverty stricken and they had committed the killing and hijacking spree out of greed.
Friends and family members meanwhile hugged each other after the sentencing proceedings.