The Pietermaritzburg High Court in KwaZulu Natal has sentenced a 43-year-old Zwelakhe Nene to three life terms for triple murders committed in Mid-Illovo in 2021. Nene (43) was sentenced on Friday after he was convicted on three counts of murder and another three counts of attempted murder.

TRIPLE MURDER

KZN police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda said that Nene together with his two brothers Mhlonishwa and Mvikela Nene, killed the three people following a feud between two families. "The two families were involved in a feud which turned violent and resulted in the killing of ten people. On 2 September 2021, a security guard who was from one of the families involved in the feud was killed whilst on duty at a primary school. The matter was transferred to the provincial serious and violent crimes unit and three suspects; Mhloniswa Nene, Mvikelwa Nene, and Zwelakhe Nene were arrested, however, they were granted bail by the court," he said.

KILLING WHILE OUT ONN BAIL

Netshiunda said that whilst out on bail, the same suspects opened fire at a minibus taxi which was full of passengers and two people died while two more people sustained injuries. "Investigators successfully connected the dots and positively linked the three suspects with the crime scene and the three were re-arrested. Mvikelwa and Mhloniswa decided to abscond from court during trial and warrants of their arrest were issued," he said. Zwelakhe will also serve an additional 30 years behind bars after he was sentenced to 10 years in jail for each of the three attempted murders that he committed.