Axe murder's sentencing postponed

Ntshongwana was due to be sentenced by Judge Irfaan Khalil in the Durban High Court on Wednesday. His lawyer Themba Mjoli however argued successfully for a postponement so a clinical psychologist and a criminologist could testify in mitigation of sentencing.

 

Khalil postponed the matter to December 15. On Friday Khalil convicted Ntshongwana of four counts of murder, two of attempted murder, one of kidnapping, one of rape, and one of assault.

 

Ntshongwana murdered Thembelenkosini Cebekhulu in Montclair on March 20, 2011, Paulos Hlongwa two days later, Simon Ngidi the following day, and an unidentified man sometime that week. All were hacked to death with an axe.

 

He raped and kidnapped a woman in November 2010. He tried to kill two men, one in Umlazi on March 21, 2011, and the other in Lamontville on March 23.