Sipho Shongwe sentenced to 50 Years for Victor’s assassination

By Delisa Magagula

The High Court has sentenced businessman Sipho Shongwe to 50 years in prison for orchestrating the contract killing of prominent businessman Victor Gamedze.

The sentence was delivered following a comprehensive ruling, which detailed the planning and execution of what the court termed a gruesome and cold-blooded murder on Thursday at the High Court in Mbabane.

Shongwe was found guilty of hiring a group of hitmen, Mbuso Ncaza Nkosi, Sandile Dzodzo Zikalala, and Simphiwe Tata Ngubane to carry out the assassination. The killing took place on January 14,2018 at the Galp Filling Station in Ezulwini, in full view of the public.

The judgment highlighted that the murder was audaciously bold, sudden, and striking, and that it required a lengthy custodial sentence to serve as a deterrent to others.

“This was a premeditated contract killing, part of a common purpose. It was planned, well-executed, and intended to shock. Crimes of this nature are heinous, wicked, and morally offensive,” read the judgement.

The court noted the arrests of accomplices Ncaza and Ngubane in South Africa were facilitated through the Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Protocol.

They were extradited to Eswatini after an investigation led by Detective Senior Superintendent Sikhumbuzo Fakudze, whose team presented extensive cellphone data, direct evidence, and circumstantial evidence linking Shongwe to the murder.

In establishing precedent, the Court cited South African legal standards, where individuals found guilty of hiring assassins in premeditated murders often face life sentences. It was found that Eswatini’s jurisprudence is in alignment with these standards.

“There is no doubt in casu that the jurisprudence in Eswatini is in the main compatible with the South African jurisprudence. The planning and manner of execution justify the harshest sentence under the law,” the court stated.

Although the sentence is 50 years, the Court acknowledged that remission policies may reduce the total time to be served. Shongwe is entitled to a one-third remission in accordance with correctional services procedures, potentially reducing the sentence by 16 years and 8 months.

Additionally, the court acknowledged the 7 years Shongwe spent in custody awaiting trial. Factoring in these reductions, the actual time to be served could be approximately 26 years and 4 months.

The court dismissed pleas for leniency from Shongwe’s defence, which included mitigation submissions and testimony by a clinical psychologist.

However, the presiding judge ruled that individuals who engage in contract killings “do so at their own risk and peril” and must face the consequences.

“The interests of justice and society are prime in this matter,” the judge said, emphasizing that sentencing must reflect the seriousness of the offence and provide closure to the public.