ANC ward councillor Zakhele Khuzwayo’s killer sentenced to life

The National Prosecuting Authority has welcomed the life sentence of Phathesakhe Ngiba convicted of murder by the Ntuzuma Regional Court in KwaZulu-Natal.

Ngiba (28) killed iLembe Municipality ANC ward councillor Zakhele Khuzwayo in September 2022.

The evening Khuzwayo was killed he had been driving on a gravel road when stopped to speak to someone he knew. A motor vehicle approached them and a gunmen opened fire killing him. The eyewitness ran to a nearby area to seek assistance.

Fingerprints recovered from the scene and the eyewitness account secured the conviction.

The National Prosecuting Authority’s regional spokesperson Natasha Ramkisson-Kara says, “Ngiba was sentenced to life imprisonment for murder, ten years imprisonment for unlawful possession of a firearm and two years’ imprisonment for unlawful possession of ammunition.

He was also declared unfit to possess a firearm. The NPA welcomes the sentence and we commend the successful partnership between the Prosecution, the Political Killings Task Team in KZN and other stakeholders. We trust that sentences of this nature will deter like-minded individuals.”

#sapsHQ The #SAPS Political Task Team has registered another conviction after a 28yr-old hitman, Phathisakhe Thuthukani Ngiba was sentenced to LIFE imprisonment for September 2022 murder of ANC ward Councillor Zakhele Khuzwayo. The matter was heard before the Ntuzuma Magistrate’s… pic.twitter.com/4l6djDcxbC

— SA Police Service 🇿🇦 (@SAPoliceService) July 20, 2025