The Gqeberha magistrate’s court found 19-year-old Sinawo Mginywa guilty of participating in the murder of his stepfather, Qondile Mnguni.
The teenager from Motherwell, a township in Gqeberha, Eastern Cape, has been sentenced to 18 years behind bars.
In court, it was revealed that Mginywa ordered a hit on his stepfather who was murdered in December 2023 at their family home.
According to Mginywa, the murder came after years of violent abuse inflicted by the deceased on both the accused and his mother, Nomalungisa Precious Mnguni.
Teen acknowledges involvement in murder
The teen acknowledged his involvement in the planned murder of his stepfather and informed the court that he managed to achieve this with the assistance of a third party known as Sangezo Aphiwe.
He explained to the court that the history of abuse within the family contributed to his decision to take such drastic action. Mginywa conspired with Sangezo, a man he befriended online, to have his stepfather murdered in exchange for R20,000.
He told the court that he promised to pay in monthly instalments of R350 from the social grant that the government pays to unemployed South Africans.
“Sangezo entered the family home through a window opened for him by Sinawo, shooting Mnguni twice in the head before fleeing the scene,” said Luxolo Tyali, National Prosecuting Authority (NPA).
In his testimony, Sinawo described years of physical and emotional abuse at the hands of his stepfather, which left him feeling powerless and unable to escape the violence.
Online platform used to order the hit
“He said after a violent incident in which his mother was assaulted with a hammer and beaten with a sjambok, he contacted Sangezo online to arrange the murder. After an upfront payment of R3500, Sangezo carried out the killing the following night, while his mother slept in her bedroom, unaware of the murder,” added Tyali.
Although acknowledging the traumatic circumstances of his upbringing, Sinawo admitted that his actions were unjustifiable.
He further expressed a desire to rehabilitate, pursue education, and care for his mother moving forward.
Arguing for an appropriate sentence, Prosecutor Advocate Liezel Landman emphasised the severity of the crime and its devastating impact on the family.
Landman stressed that Sinawo’s involvement in the murder was premeditated and deliberate, as evidenced by his online interactions with Songezo.
Sinawo was arrested in July 2024, following his confession.
On November 18, he pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to commit murder and murder.
The court sentenced him to 10 years for conspiracy to commit murder and 18 years for murder. The sentences will run concurrently.
