A KZN police constable has been sentenced for culpable homicide.
Image: Leon Lestrade / Independent Newspapers
A SAPS constable attached to the Public Order Policing (POP) from KwaZulu-Natal has received a suspended sentence in the Pietermaritzburg Regional Court for the death of his colleague.
Constable Luyanda Mgcini Sigwebela was charged with culpable homicide.
According to evidence before the court, on June 14, 2025, Sigwebela was sitting in a car with his colleague, Constable Ntethelelo Gift Zondo, in Thornville, Pietermaritzburg, where they were tenants.
Information revealed Sigwebela got out of the vehicle, and a shot went off from his firearm while he was mishandling it.
Constable Zondo was struck by a bullet from his colleague’s firearm and died.
Initially, Sigwebela claimed that Zondo shot himself using his firearm.
The matter was handed over to the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) for investigation.
Ipid spokesperson, Lizzy Suping, said their investigation proved that it was impossible for Zondo to have shot himself, considering the angle of the shot and the trajectory of the bullet as per the postmortem and ballistic reports.
However, the court sentenced Sigwebela to 10 years’ imprisonment, which was wholly suspended for a period of five years, on condition that he is not found guilty of a similar offence during the period of suspension.
The court further ordered Sigwebela to pay R150,000 compensation to Zondo's family, with a R50,000 payment upfront. The remaining balance could be paid in installments.
IOL