A South African Woman sentenced to life imprisonment for m8rder of her husband

A 44-year-old South African woman, Faith Nongcebo Ntombela, has been sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of her husband, Captain Zwelakhe Ntombela. The Durban High Court delivered the verdict on Friday, November 29, 2024, according to the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks). Captain Ntombela, a Durban Metro Police officer, was fatally shot on May 3, 2023, as he arrived home in Umlazi. Hawks KZN spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Simphiwe Mhlongo revealed that investigations uncovered that Faith had stolen her husband’s private and service firearms before orchestrating the murder.

In July 2023, the Hawks and the National Intervention Unit arrested 28-year-old Mzo Ntombela at his hideout in Msinga. Captain Ntombela's firearms were recovered at Mzo’s homestead in KwaMaphumulo. Mzo’s arrest led to the capture of his accomplices: Faith, Khulani Cele, and primary school principal Sithembiso Khumalo, 53.

Faith, an Umlazi court employee, was assisted by Khumalo in hiring a hitman to kill her husband. Mzo pleaded guilty to murder and was sentenced to 20 years in prison. On Friday, Faith received a life sentence for murder, 10 years for firearm theft, and two years for defeating the ends of justice, with the sentences to run concurrently. Meanwhile, Cele and Khumalo’s trial is set to continue in April 2025. KwaZulu-Natal Hawks Provincial Head, Major General Lesetja Senona, welcomed the court’s decision.