Two men who kidnapped and killed an East London e-hailing driver, despite his pleas to spare his life for his children’s sake, have been sentenced to 25 years in jail. E-hailing driver Sibusiso Nogqola’s body was found with 15 stab wounds, in Duncan Village, on October 13 2022. The East London regional court sentenced Lutho Nasiphi, 30, and Bahle Nqomfe, 26, to 25 years for the robbery, kidnapping and brutal murder of Nogqola.
On the fateful day, Nogqola left home to begin work, leaving behind his wife and their newborn baby. “At about 11am, when she was unable to reach him after several attempts, she alerted the owner of the vehicle he was driving,” National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Luxolo Tyali said. “The owner also failed to contact him and used the car’s tracking system to locate the vehicle.
“He observed it moving around East London before it eventually stopped in Bhebhele Street, Duncan Village, an area where Nogqola had been instructed never to pick up or drop off passengers.” When the vehicle owner arrived at the scene, he found the car locked, stripped of its number plates, and with traces of blood visible inside. “The following day, a locksmith opened the vehicle, revealing extensive bloodstains in the back seat and the boot,” Tyali said. “DNA analysis later confirmed the blood belonged to Nogqola.” During the trial, state prosecutor Sinovuyo Sotomela led detailed evidence tracing the movements of the accused on the day of the crime. Witnesses placed Nasiphi, Nqomfe, and an unidentified man in Nogqola’s vehicle shortly before they drove to the home of the third accused, Xolela Mancam, where they smoked drugs.
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