In a landmark decision, the Pretoria Magistrates Court has sentenced 27-year-old Gift Mbola from Witbank to life imprisonment for the premeditated murder of 38-year-old Tumisho Thobela, accompanied by an additional 20 years of direct imprisonment for robbery with aggravating circumstances. The court ordered that the sentences run concurrently, further declaring Mbola unfit to possess a firearm.
The tragic incident unfolded on September 3, 2019, when the deceased was driving a company car from Witbank to Pretoria. Offering a lift to three men, including Mbola and Phineas Mzimba (26), the trio took advantage of the situation on the N4 highway. Upon reaching the Bronkhorspruit offramp, the perpetrators requested the deceased to stop the car. Shockingly, Mbola shot Thobela in the head. When it became apparent that the victim was still alive, they callously stoned him to death, leaving his body near a furrow, while absconding with the company car to Witbank hostel.
The company’s tracking system played a pivotal role in alerting the deceased’s manager to the car’s location. Quick action by the police, alongside the tracking company, led to the retrieval of the vehicle at Witbank hostel. However, upon sighting law enforcement, Mbola and his two accomplices fled.
Subsequent investigations by the police led to the arrest of Mbola and Mzimba in Burgersfort a day after the gruesome incident. While Mzimba initially pleaded guilty, later becoming a state witness, Mbola pleaded not guilty when the trial began. It wasn’t until the proceedings were well underway, with evidence from multiple witnesses, that Mbola finally admitted to the heinous crimes.
During sentencing, prosecutor Sfiso Hlongwane emphasized Mbola’s threat to society, citing a prior serious conviction. Hlongwane presented victim impact statements from the deceased’s sister, mother, and son, highlighting the emotional, mental, and financial toll the incident had taken on them. Magistrate Ruby Matlaila concurred with the state’s argument that Mbola showed no remorse and failed to provide reasons for the senseless murder. As a result, the court found no substantial and compelling circumstances to deviate from the prescribed minimum sentence.
The National Prosecuting Authority has welcomed the court’s decision, signaling a victory for justice in the face of such a tragic and brutal crime.