KZN man gets double life sentence for killing his former partner and her mom

Wednesday 21 April 2021, 18:15pm

DURBAN – A KWAZULU-NATAL, man who killed his fiancée and her mother in the Mangwaveni area, near Tongaat, in 2018, was handed a double life sentence in the Verulam Regional Court on Wednesday.

National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesperson Natasha Kara said the NPA welcomed the sentence handed down to 56-year-old Muzi Radebe, who shot and killed Nombuso Dube, 30, and her mother Thokozile Dube, 73.

Kara said regional court prosecutor Ishara Sewnarayan argued that since Radebe was found guilty of two counts of premeditated murder, he should be sentenced accordingly.

Testifying on the impact of the incident, Nombuso’s sister Hlengiwe Dube said her house, where the murders occurred, felt like a graveyard.

Dube said the images from the day of the shooting still play on her mind.

Kara added that, in Dube’s testimony, she indicated that she was unemployed and had to take on the financial responsibility of the household.

Describing the events leading up to the murders, which were presented in court, Kara said Radebe and Nombuso shared a child, and were living together.

“They were planning to marry in December 2018, but had an argument a few weeks prior to the event. He asked her to move out and she went to live with her sister, Hlengiwe Dube.”

On the day of the incident Radebe arrived unannounced at Dube’s house and requested to see Nombuso.

He had a knapsack, which contained a firearm loaded with nine bullets, and one in the chamber. He had a further 10 rounds of ammunition in his bag.

After Nombuso refused to reconcile with Radebe, he took out the firearm and shot her several times on her upper body.

“She called out for her mother, who rushed in, and he also shot her… While they lay on the floor, Radebe went over to their bodies and finished off all the ammunition on them.”

Kara said both women were shot in the head, neck and chest.

She said Radebe fled the scene and handed himself over to the police three days later, in the company of his attorney.

THE MERCURY