Two sentenced for farm murder as six face court over fatal ‘cellphone theft’ assault

Two men have been sentenced to an effective 20 years in prison for a deadly farm attack in Mpumalanga, while six suspects are facing murder charges following the death of a 28-year-old man in North West.

The cases involve separate incidents in which victims lost their lives following violent attacks.

Mpumalanga farm attack claims elderly man’s life

Nkosingiphile Malinga and Samukelo Tshabalala will each serve time behind bars for their involvement in a farm attack in Grootvlei, Mpumalanga, on 30 July 2023.

The pair, together with Siyabonga Ziqubu and Kgahliso Motaung, stormed a farm belonging to an elderly couple, robbing them of their vehicle, firearms, ammunition and electrical appliances.

A 68-year-old husband was stabbed and died during the robbery, while his 65-year-old wife sustained serious head injuries.

She was rushed to a medical facility for treatment.

All four accused, who were younger than 20 at the time of the incident, were arrested after the stolen vehicle was later found overturned near Villiers.

The men faced several charges, including murder, attempted murder, robbery with aggravating circumstances, contraventions of the Older Persons Act and the Firearms Control Act.

Mpumalanga High Court sentences two men

The accused initially appeared in the Balfour Magistrate’s Court before the matter proceeded to the Mpumalanga High Court in Middelburg.

Malinga and Tshabalala entered into a plea and sentence agreement in terms of Section 105A of the Criminal Procedure Act (CPA) and were convicted on eight counts.

For murder, each man was sentenced to 25 years’ imprisonment, with five years suspended for five years on condition that they are not convicted of murder.

They were each sentenced to two years’ imprisonment on count two for contravening the Older Persons Act and received a further two years on count four for the same offence.

For attempted murder, both received 25 years’ imprisonment, of which five years were suspended for five years on condition that they are not convicted of attempted murder.

The pair were also sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment for robbery with aggravating circumstances and five years’ imprisonment on each of the three counts relating to contraventions of the Firearms Control Act.

The court ordered that the sentences on counts two to eight run concurrently with the sentence on count one, resulting in each man serving an effective 20 years in prison.

Trials separated

According to the South African Police Service (Saps), the cases against Ziqubu and Motaung were separated and postponed to 6 to 17 November 2028 for trial in the Delmas Regional Court.

Mpumalanga police commissioner Apaphia Modise welcomed the sentence and commended those involved for their work in securing the convictions.

“This sentencing should send a clear message that those who attack victims, including the farming communities and vulnerable elderly persons will face the full might of the law.

“We commend the excellent work by our murder and robbery unit and all role players who ensured this conviction,” Modise said.

Six arrested after man allegedly assaulted over cellphone

Six suspects are facing murder charges after a 28-year-old man died following an alleged assault over a cellphone in Mmabatho, North West.

The incident is reported to have occurred between Sunday, 19 October 2026 and Monday, 20 October 2026..

Mmabatho police responded to a complaint near a primary school in Extension 39, where they were directed to the victim by his girlfriend.

According to the provincial Saps, officers found the 28-year-old lying inside the yard of his home with visible injuries to his upper body and forehead.

Emergency Medical Services (EMS) personnel declared him dead at the scene.

Investigation leads to six arrests

Investigators subsequently uncovered allegations that the man had been taken from Extension 39 to Unit 15, where a group accused him of stealing a cellphone and allegedly assaulted him with sjamboks.

“Once they were finished with the assault, they reportedly returned him home. He succumbed to his wounds,” the Saps statement, released on 24 October, reads.

The six suspects are Sicelo Boqo, 24, Willie Gulekane, 27, Motheo Mogwera, 28, Baitaodi Boihang, 30, Gontse Lenkwe, 31, and Nomathemba Gulekane, 32.

They appeared in the Mmabatho Magistrate’s Court for the first time on Wednesday, 21 October 2026, and were remanded in custody.

Their formal bail application was heard on Thursday, 22 October 2026, before being postponed until Monday, 26 October 2026.