KU GOMPO CITY – The East London Regional Court has sentenced a 30-year-old man to life imprisonment for the murder of a man he believed his girlfriend was cheating with.
Sibusiso Dolongo murdered Siphenathi Gqonono because he thought he was sleeping with his girlfriend.
The court heard that three days before the murder, Dolongo’s girlfriend spent the night at Gqonono’s home after a night out at a local tavern.
When she returned home the following morning, Dolongo told her he had heard at the taxi rank that she had slept with Gqonono. For the next three days, he interrogated and assaulted her.
Although she denied the allegation, Dolongo armed himself with an unknown weapon and instructed her to take him to Gqonono’s home, as he did not know where he lived. When they arrived, Dolongo told her to knock on the door and call Gqonono’s name.
Gqonono came outside and, without saying a word, Dolongo stabbed him eight times before fleeing the scene.
Gqonono’s sister found him outside their home, bleeding profusely. Before he died, he told her that he had opened the door for Dolongo’s girlfriend before he was attacked.
Eastern Cape NPA spokesperson Luxolo Tyali said police investigations led them to the girlfriend and subsequently to Dolongo’s arrest.
“During the trial, Regional Court Prosecutor Thokozani Ndzama presented evidence from the girlfriend, her sister and Gqonono’s sister. Court Preparation Officer (CPO) Maki Mengi supported the witnesses. Dolongo raised an alibi defence and called his other girlfriend as a witness.
“During cross-examination by the State, however, she changed her version, saying she had been coerced and threatened by Dolongo. She told the court that she had not been with him on the night of the murder. The court accepted the material aspects of the State’s case and rejected Dolongo’s alibi.
For sentencing, the State submitted a Victim Impact Statement from Gqonono’s sister, prepared by the CPO, outlining the effect of his death on his family.
“The court agreed with the State that the manner in which the offence was committed demonstrated premeditation and that there were no compelling and substantial circumstances to justify departing from the prescribed minimum sentence.”
The Director of Public Prosecutions in the Eastern Cape, Advocate Samkelo Mtwana, welcomed the sentence and commended all role players whose dedication helped ensure that the perpetrator was held accountable.
“This sentence sends a clear message that those who commit violent crimes and show complete disregard for human life will face the full might of the law,” Mtwana said.