MBOMBELA – The Mpumalanga High Court sentenced Hlabirwa Rassie Nkune to life imprisonment on Thursday.
Hlabirwa was convicted on Tuesday after his trial began on Monday, May 15. He was found guilty on two counts of murder following a shooting incident that left sisters, Pretty Mazibuko, his girlfriend and her sister, Marcia Mazibuko who was a police officer.
On May 15, 2022, the accused went to Mazibuko’s homestead in KaNyamazane, and an altercation about infidelity ensued.He left the house and came back later, armed with a firearm. He started shooting at his girlfriend Pretty, who ran to the accused’s vehicle and attempted to reverse out of the yard.
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The car got stuck in a heap of soil and Nkune followed her and continued shooting.
He then chased Marcia and shot at her. Both sisters succumbed to their injuries on the way to the clinic. He fled the scene and was arrested in August 2022 for another murder case which took place in Sundra.
In court, Hlabirwa pleaded guilty to two counts of murder. However, the state rejected his plea on another count since his plea was not consistent with the facts of the case at the state’s disposal.
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This led to the state-led the evidence of an eyewitness. The court found the state’s witness credible, and the accused was convicted on two counts of premeditated murder. His sentences will run concurrently.
