Durban – The 52-year-old man convicted and sentenced for the 1989 murder of a teen ANC activist is to serve the 10-year prison term handed to him by the Durban Magistrate’s Court.
This after a failed attempt to appeal against the sentence and conviction on Tuesday.
Gugulethu Wesley ‘Matiri’ Madonsela, who was alleged by the State to have been affiliated with an A-team that worked with the Natal Security Branch, had his leave to appeal application refused by acting magistrate BK Khumalo.
Khumalo convicted and sentenced Madonsela for killing 17-year-old Siphelele Nxumalo in Chesterville.
At the time of his killing in Chesterville, Nxumalo, who died after being shot several times, had been an activist with the United Democratic Front (UDF), which was affiliated with the ANC.
A witness told the court Madonsela and three other friends approached Nxumalo, who was standing with his girlfriend, and Madonsela and one of the other three pulled out guns and fired at Nxumalo.
When the teen was down on the ground, the two shooters went closer to him and continued shooting while the witness, Nxumalo’s girlfriend Phumelele Miya, watched from the bush she had hidden behind.
Miya previously testified that the other shooter’s name was Kuben. She named the other two men as Msafu and E.
Madonsela was arrested in 1989 for the murder but he absconded after he was granted bail.
During the trial, Madonsela’s attorney, Bongani Cele, brought an application before the court in terms of Section 174 of the Criminal Procedure Act calling for his client to be discharged of the crime. This application was unsuccessful.
On Wednesday, National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Natasha Ramkisson-Kara said: “The NPA welcomes the court's findings.”
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