Pietermaritzburg – As the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs we wish to express our appreciation for the dedicated efforts of the police and the justice system in apprehending and sentencing the masterminds behind the brutal killing of Inkosi Mzomuhle Zondli in Nkandla in 2021.
The culprits Lizzy Zondi, the stepmother of Inkosi Zondi, and Induna Celimpilo Shabangu have both been sentenced to life imprisonment by the Pietermaritzburg High Court for their involvement in this heinous crime. While the hired assassin is still at large, we take solace in the fact that justice has been served for the community and the entire Zondi clan. We hope that the law enforcement agencies will continue to make breakthroughs in the apprehension and conviction of the perpetrators of these inhumane and barbaric crimes.
It is worrying that the culprit were people close to Inkosi Zondi and entrusted with his protection. The killings of Amakhosi remain a concern in our province, and we applaud the efforts of the police and the judiciary in this case. We appeal to anyone who may have information that could lead to further arrests and convictions in the assassination of Amakhosi to come forward.
As a department, we welcome the sentence imposed on the perpetrators, as it sends a resounding message to potential wrongdoers who contemplate harming our leaders. We hope that this outcome will bring closure to the Zondi clan and the Inkosi’s family.
Ends
Issued by the MEC for the KZN Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Bongiwe Sithole-Moloi.