The Free State High Court has sentenced two young men from Harrismith to 35 years’ direct imprisonment each, for the kidnapping and murder of teenager Bongiwe Radebe. The accused, Sandile Wiseman Khumalo (28) and Mpiyakhe Solomon Miya (32), were sentenced on Wednesday, 26 June, at the court seating in Harrismith.
The court found both guilty on counts of kidnapping, murder, housebreaking, and common robbery. The victim’s body was discovered on 26 February last year following her kidnapping from her parents’ house in the Intabazwe township in Harrismith. She was 12 years old at the time.
Judge AJ Groenewald sentenced the pair following a successful prosecution by Advocate Victor Choane, on compelling evidence presented in court during the trial.
WO Mmako Mophiring, spokesperson for the police in the Thabo Mofutsanyana region, said compelling evidence presented in court followed an in-depth investigation by Capt. Aron Mbele of the Bethlehem Family, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) unit.
“Khumalo and Miya were each sentenced to five years for housebreaking, five years for kidnapping, and 12 months for common robbery. For murdering Bongiwe, they were sentenced to life imprisonment. Miya was sentenced to 18 months for escaping from custody,” said Mophiring.
He said probing revealed that Miya and Khumalo kidnapped the victim on 25 February 2023, at about 23:30, at the time both parents had visited a friend. Mophiring said the victim was alone when the murderers broke into the shack dwelling to steal. He said the accused took groceries, clothes and thereafter kidnapped the victim, who they murdered.
“They dumped Bongiwe’s body in the bushes of Lotusville, close to the N3. Other clothes were found abandoned near a certain shack in the area. The value of the stolen property was about R4 000,” said Mophiring.
