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The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) have welcomed the sentencing of Sibusiso Ncengwa to 25 years in prison for the murder of former ANC Youth League Secretary-General, Sindiso Magaqa. The judgment, handed down by the Pietermaritzburg High Court, follows years of public pressure for justice in the politically charged assassination case that shook the country in 2017.
Ncengwa, who pleaded guilty, was described by the EFF as a “man who takes life for personal gain” and whose removal from society “serves the greater public interest.” However, the party emphasized that he did not act alone.
In his plea, Ncengwa implicated high-ranking political and government figures in a conspiracy to eliminate Magaqa. He named former ANC Umzimkhulu municipal manager Zweliphansi Skhosana, late ex-mayor Mluleki Ndobe, and former journalist-turned-eThekwini communications manager Mdu Ncalane as co-conspirators. Ncengwa revealed the murder was allegedly arranged in exchange for tenders, with R600,000 reportedly paid upfront and another R500,000 later distributed to silence the assassins.
The EFF decried the use of public resources for politically motivated killings, calling Magaqa’s murder a “logical outcome of a criminal culture” where tenders and political power are safeguarded through violence. The party further warned that the three other accused assassins named in Ncengwa’s confession are due to stand trial in October 2025, but noted that charges against both Skhosana and Ndobe were previously withdrawn.
Calling for a full criminal probe into all individuals named by Ncengwa, the EFF condemned what it described as an entrenched “criminal syndicate” within South Africa’s political and state structures, alleging collusion among politicians, government officials, and police to protect personal and financial interests.
“This confirms what was exposed by Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi,” the party said, “that ANC officials meant to protect communities are instead orchestrating assassinations and getting away with it.”
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