Sibusiso Ncengwa, the man behind the assassination of former ANC Youth League Secretary-General Sindiso Magaqa, has been sentenced to 85 years in prison by the Pietermaritzburg High Court—a ruling that effectively amounts to two life terms.
Ncengwa pleaded guilty to a string of serious charges, including murder, attempted murder, malicious damage to property, and unlawful possession of firearms. These charges stem from the politically charged hit carried out on July 13, 2017, in uMzimkhulu, KwaZulu-Natal.
Magaqa, who was 35 at the time, died weeks after the attack due to complications from his gunshot wounds. He had been outspoken about corruption and mismanagement in local municipalities, sparking speculation that his murder was politically motivated.
The case has long been seen as emblematic of the dangerous intersection of politics and violence in parts of South Africa. For years, Magaqa’s family and supporters have called for justice, and Ncengwa’s sentencing marks a long-awaited moment of closure.
In delivering the sentence, the judge condemned the “cold and calculated” nature of the killing, describing it as an attack on democracy itself.
Ncengwa’s conviction and harsh sentence may set a precedent for future prosecutions in politically motivated killings, a persistent concern in KwaZulu-Natal, where several local politicians have been targeted over the past decade.
