By OBAKENG MAJE
28 October 2026 – A man, Zondwa Sithembiso Dzengwa (34) was sentenced to life imprisonment by the Zwelitsha Regional Court for the murder of Sikhumbuzo Bobe (30). Dzengwa was convicted of killing Bobe on 4 May 2020. Dzengwa is already serving an 18-year prison sentence for the separate murder of his then-girlfriend, Babalwa Ngcakani on 17 December 2023.
According to evidence presented in court, Dzengwa’s house was broken into and several valuable household items were stolen. He conducted his own investigation and concluded that Bobe was responsible for the theft. Dzengwa subsequently searched for Bobe and even posted messages in a Facebook group called Proudly Zwelitsha in his efforts to find him.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesperson in the Eastern Cape, Luxolo Tyali said when he eventually located Bobe, Dzengwa brutally assaulted him, resulting in his death. Tyali said following a painstaking investigation and the gathering of evidence, the police charged Dzengwa with Bobe’s murder in September 2025.
“By then, he had already been sentenced to 18 years imprisonment by the Eastern Cape High Court on 2 June 2025, for the separate murder of Ngcakani. During the trial, the state presented testimony from several witnesses, together with Facebook posts made by Dzengwa.
“Although the case relied largely on circumstantial evidence, the court found that the evidence, considered as a whole, overwhelmingly established that Dzengwa had killed Bobe,” he said.
Tyali further said the court rejected Dzengwa’s denial of the murder, as well as his claim that the deceased’s family had conspired to implicate him falsely. He added that during cross-examination by senior state prosecutor, Brenhan Sam, Dzengwa also contradicted himself, undermining the credibility of his version.
Welcoming the sentence, Eastern Cape Director of Public Prosecutions, Advocate Samkelo Mtwana, said the right to life was sacrosanct and could not be taken away arbitrarily. Mtwana said the society had a legitimate expectation that people who committed serious crimes and took the law into their own hands would face severe consequences, particularly when their actions undermined the rule of law.
“The NPA reiterates that vigilantism is not justice. Members of the public are encouraged to report suspected criminal conduct to law-enforcement authorities rather than resorting to violence or taking the law into their own hands.
“The NPA remained committed to vigorously prosecuting perpetrators of violent crime and ensuring that justice was served for victims, their families and affected communities,” he said.
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