🚨 Bolo TV News Network • June 26, 2026
LIFE IMPRISONMENT: Former School Principal and Co-Accused Sentenced for Brutal Assassination of Metro Police Captain Zwelakhe Ntombela
BY AFRIKABELO NEWS | #JUSTICEFORCAPTAINNTOMBELA #KZNCRIME #HIGHCOURT #HAWKSINVESTIGATION #GBVANDCORRUPTION
DURBAN – The KwaZulu-Natal High Court in Durban has delivered ultimate justice for the family of slain Metro Police Captain Zwelakhe Ntombela, sentencing former school principal Sithembiso Khumalo (56) and Khulani Cele (48) to life imprisonment for their roles in his cold-blooded assassination.
The two men, who were convicted on May 11, 2026, received their life sentences on Thursday. Khumalo was slapped with additional prison terms for the unlawful possession of firearms, illegal possession of ammunition, and defeating the ends of justice. Both convicts have officially been declared unfit to possess firearms.
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A Deadly Hit Masterminded from Inside the Home
The final sentencing closes a dark chapter on a murder plot that deeply shocked the community. The two men now join Nongcebo Ntombela, the slain captain's wife, who was previously sentenced to life imprisonment after being exposed as the ultimate mastermind behind her husband’s murder.
Captain Ntombela was ambushed and gunned down on May 3, 2023, just as he arrived at his home in Umlazi. The hitmen stripped his body of his private and service firearms before fleeing the scene, sparking an intense investigation into an organized syndicate.
How the Hawks Cracked the Case
An intensive, relentless investigation spearheaded by the Hawks’ Serious Organised Crime Investigation unit systematically pulled the threads of the conspiracy apart. In July 2023, tracking units cornered hitman Mzo Ntombela in Msinga while he was in hiding. The captain's stolen weapons were later dug up in KwaMaphumulo, earning Mzo a direct 20-year prison sentence.
SAPS investigators didn't stop there. Forensic data and deep interrogations exposed the wife, Nongcebo, which led straight to Khulani Cele—who was already serving a life sentence for an unrelated murder case. Further intelligence-led operations ultimately linked the 56-year-old school principal, Sithembiso Khumalo, to the assassination ring, sealing his fate behind bars forever.
"The targeting of law enforcement officers is a direct assault on the state. The Hawks commend the exhaustive investigation that unravelled this complex spousal hit and brought every co-conspirator to book."
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