Vusi “Khekhe” Mathibela, the infamous taxi boss in Pretoria, and his three co-accused have been sentenced to 30 years in prison.
Mathibela and his accomplice made an appearance in the Pretoria High Court on Friday to be sentenced for their involvement in businessman Wandile Bozwana’s murder.
The four men have been sentenced to 10 years in prison for attempted murder, six years for possession of a firearm, and two years for possession of ammunition, according to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA).
The 30-year sentence will run concurrently with the other sentences.
Investigations lasted nine years
North West tycoon Bozwana was shot and killed in October 2015; his female companion, Betty Baloyi, was also shot, but she lived.
According to reports, Mathibela followed Bozwana and Baloyi at their request when they were in Johannesburg’s Mandela Square.
They were headed from Sandton to Pretoria in Baloyi’s car when they came under fire.
Three men pursued them until they arrived at the Garsfontein off-ramp, where they exited the BMW they were driving, opened fire on Baloyi’s vehicle, and ran away.
Bozwana was declared dead after he was rushed to the hospital.
It took nine years of intensive investigation, multiple court appearances, and testimony before the case was resolved.
Commissioner praises the detectives
General Fannie Masemola, the national commissioner of police, has commended the Gauteng detectives, the SA Police Service’s national cold case unit, and the arresting officers for their unwavering pursuit of justice in the Bozwana murder case.
In the best interests of crime victims and the provision of services to South Africans, he urged detectives across the country to continue conducting high-calibre investigations.
“We hope that this conviction and sentencing will bring about closure for the families of the victims involved,” said Masemola.
“We still have another pending matter on the very same matter; that case is yet to be finalised.
“We hope that this sentencing will serve as a deterrent and a lesson, that the long arm of the law will not be kind nor will it be selective to those who are found on the wrong side of the law.”
The sentencing comes after Wandile’s mother, Alleta Bozwana, was murdered in an alleged robbery at her home in Kuruman, Northern Cape, in August 2023.
