Four men accused of the murder of prominent North West millionaire businessman Wandile Bozwana have been found guilty of the dastardly act in the Pretoria High Court.
A 36-year-old “taxi boss” Vusi Reginald Mathibela – also known as Vusi Khekhe, 40-year-old Sipho Patrick Hudla, 46-year-old Matamela Robert Mutapa, and 42-year-old Bonginkosi Paul Khumalo, were all convicted for killing Bozwana.
They were found guilty of premeditated murder, attempted murder, possession of a firearm, and possession of ammunition
The court established that on 2 October 2015, Hudla, Mutapa, and Khumala, followed Bozwana from Mandela Square in Sandton, Johannesburg, where he was with his business associate Betty Mpho Baloyi.
The trio was acting on Mathibela’s instruction.
When the business partners left Sandton for Pretoria in Baloyis car, they were followed until they reached the Garsfontein off-ramp.
Baloyi stopped at a red traffic light. A BMW stopped behind her.
Suddenly, three armed men got out of the BMW and started shooting at Baloyis car before they fled the scene.
Both Bozwana and Baloyi were shot and wounded.
However, Baloyi managed to drive to Garsfontein Road, where they were assisted by police and emergency services personnel.
Bozwana and Baloyi were taken to a hospital, where the millionaire businessman succumbed to the gunshot wounds.
All four men were arrested on different dates, between 2015 and 2016.
Three of the four men have been in custody since their arrest.
Mathibela was granted R50 000 bail in December 2016, a year after he handed himself over at the Brooklyn Police Station.
Mathibela was rearrested in 2019 after he violated his bail conditions, which were revoked and his bail money forfeited to the state.
In court, all four men pleaded not guilty to the charges preferred against them.
Adv. Jennifer Cronje told the court that she presented evidence to prove the guilt of the four men “beyond reasonable doubt” and that they had a common purpose in killing Bozwana.
The matter was postponed to 4 August 2022, for sentencing proceedings.
“The Director of Public Prosecution, Adv. Mzinyathi welcomes the conviction, and praises the outstanding work of the investigating officer Sergeant Evans Butso Mongwe who started investigating the matter after the incident in 2015,” said Lumka Mahanjana, NPA Regional Spokesperson Gauteng Division: Pretoria.
