Life sentence for killer of Phalaborwa doctor Basil Khoza

Dr Khoza, who was 63 at the time, was walking from an automated teller machine at about 11 pm in the Phalaborwa central business district in Limpopo province in August 2016 when two men came from behind and hit him with a hard object on the back side of his head. He died on the scene.

PRETORIA, May 21 (ANA) – The South African Police Service in Limpopo has welcomed the life sentence slapped on 33-year-old Madala Rodney Nene for the 2016 murder of well known Phalaborwa medical doctor Basil Khoza.

Nene was sentenced by the Limpopo division of the high court in Polokwane on Wednesday.

Dr Khoza, who was 63, was walking from an automated teller machine at about 11 pm in the Phalaborwa central business district in Limpopo province in August 2016 when two men came from behind and hit him with a hard object on the back side of his head. Khoza collapsed and died at the scene.

“The accused robbed him of cash amount of money and a wallet containing bank cards. His body was found lying in a pool of blood. The incident was reported to the police and cases of murder and robbery were opened and a manhunt for the killers ensued,” Limpopo police spokesman Brigadier Motlafela Mojapelo said in a statement.

“The case was later transferred to the provincial investigations unit and handed to Captain Mogale and Sergeant Kubayi for further investigations. The duo worked tirelessly and meticulously followed up on any information received until the two accused, Lazarus Mhlongo, aged 35, and (Nene) were apprehended.”

Mhlongo died of natural causes before the conclusion of the case against him.

Nene was found guilty of murder and robbery with aggravating circumstances. In addition to life imprisonment for murder, he received an additional twenty year jail term for robbery.

– African News Agency (ANA), Editing by Stella Mapenzauswa