An alleged member of the notorious Range Rover hijacking syndicate has been sentenced to life in prison in the South Gauteng High Court.
Wanda Masilela was also handed two five year sentences for kidnapping, fifteen for aggravated robbery, six for illegal possession of a firearm and two for illegal possession of ammunition, in the 2017 death of a top Johannesburg advocate.
Mandla Zulu, deputy chair of the Duma Nokwe Group of Advocates, was shot and killed when he and his wife were hijacked in Bryanston.
In an exclusive post-sentencing interview with the SABC, the man – who will now spend the rest of his life behind bars, maintained his innocence.
A repeat offender, Masilela was anticipating another heavy sentence. It’s a day that Advocate Mandla Zulu’s family has been waiting for.
Zulu and his wife were ambushed by hijackers, as their vehicle approached a stop sign in Bryanston.
When Zulu tried to flee, he was shot. The men dragged him back into the car and drove off with them.
They were dumped in Lonehill and Zulu later died in hospital, a loss also for the legal profession.
Advocate Jacob Serepo says: “This is loss to the profession, nobody in the legal fraternity wanted to take on the case until him because of the pain.”
Masilela has two previous convictions, one for housebreaking in 2013 and another for theft in 2014.
In his ruling, acting Judge Du Plessis said Masilela showed no remorse for his actions and it seems he is not about to change his stance.
Wanda Masilela says: “I have nothing to say accept that the court is sentencing me because I am not a South African, I don’t accept what they say, I can only say I feel for the family but have nothing to do with it. ”
Handing down the sentence, acting Judge Du Plesis emphasised that it didn’t matter if Advocate Zulu was a pauper or a king, his life was precious, he described the murder as callous, cruel and senseless.
#AdvMandlaZuluMurder After being sentenced to life for the murder of the deputy chairperson of the Duma Nokwe Advocates, this is what Wanda Masilela told #SABCNEWS. pic.twitter.com/I7mDtuYymr
— Chriselda Lewis (@Chriseldalewis) September 21, 2018
#AdvMandlaZuluMurder The court found that Wanda Masilela showed no remorse for the killing last year in which the deceased and his wife were kidnapped at an intersection in Bryanston.#sabcnews pic.twitter.com/h7uaIn1UNe
— Chriselda Lewis (@Chriseldalewis) September 21, 2018
