MOUNT FLETCHER – The Acting District Commissioner, Brig Rudolph Adolph has gladly welcomed the sentence that was handed down by the Ntabankulu High Court at Mount Fletcher on 26 May 2022 to Saneliswe Phiwane, aged 23.

The accused was sentenced to double life imprisonment for murder and robbery and an additional 5 years for kidnapping and 10 years for defeating the end of justice.

It is now believed that on the day of the incident, 13 September 2020, the deceased, 37-year-old Nombuso Tlhatsi, fell in a trap of the accused to think that the accused wanted to propose love to her by exchanging telephone numbers while the accused knew exactly that he wanted to rob her of her motor vehicle.

Later on the day the accused contacted the deceased to meet her at a nearby open field.

The deceased arrived driving her Volkswagen Polo vehicle. After they had spoken for a while she was overpowered and then strangled to death by the accused using a rope.

The accused then placed the deceased at the back of the car and drove her vehicle heading to Mount Frere.

Upon arrival at Mount Frere, the accused dug a shallow grave at night along the Tina River between Qumbu and Mount Frere and buried the deceased.

The following day the accused together with his already sentenced co-accused were apprehended while loitering up and down with the deceased’ Motor Vehicle at Mount Frere.

His co-accused pleaded guilty during 2021 at Ntabankulu High court and is currently serving 30 years imprisonment, while this accused pleaded not guilty to all the counts until he was found guilty on all counts on the 26 May 2022.

The meticulous and professional investigation by the leading investigator D/ Cst Bulelwa Vakala and her team is applauded by the Acting District Commissioner Brig Rudolph Adolph.

Source: South African Police Service