Khayelihle Mbuthuma‚ who was last week found guilty of gunning down Sibongile Mtshali at the Glebelands Hostel in Durban‚ was expected to be sentenced on Tuesday.
The 28-year-old was convicted on Thursday. Mtshali‚ 52‚ was killed in July.
Lieutenant Colonel Thulani Zwane said Mtshali was in a room where she was running a tuck shop when she was approached by two unknown men pretending to be customers.
"The suspects opened fire‚ fatally wounding Mtshali before fleeing the crime scene on foot. She sustained gunshot wounds to the head and chest and was declared dead at the scene."
Mtshali was one of over 90 people who have been killed in violence at or linked to the hostel precinct over the last three years.
The hostel‚ administered by the Ethekwini Municipality‚ is overcrowded and rundown. Police have been hard-pressed to crack down on the violence-ridden complex‚ even being forced to look among their own ranks for suspects.
Just R20 for the first month. Support independent journalism by subscribing to our digital news package. 