Controversial taxi boss Vusi “Khekhe” Mathibela, dubbed “Mamelodi's No 1 Tsotsi”, and his co-accused were on Thursday found guilty of murdering North West businessman Wandile Bozwana.
Mathibela, 36, Sipho Hudla, 40, Robert Mutapa, 46, and Bonginkosi Khumalo, 42, were convicted of the October 2015 murder of the multimillionaire businessman by the Pretoria high court. The four were also found guilty of attempting to murder Mpho Baloyi — Bozwana’s business partner — and possession of an unlicensed firearm and ammunition.
National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Lumka Mahanjane said almost seven years ago, Mathibela's co-accused had followed Bozwana from Sandton's Mandela Square where he had been with his business associate, Baloyi.
The four were acting on instructions from Mathibela.
Baloyi had been driving herself and Bozwana in her vehicle when they were tailed from Sandton on their drive back to Pretoria. The three men continued to follow them until they reached the Garsfontein off-ramp, where the traffic light was red.
The three men got out of the BMW car they were driving and started shooting at Baloyi’s car then fled the scene. Both the deceased and Baloyi were shot but Baloyi managed to drive until she stopped at Garsfontein Road, where there were police and emergency services.
Bozwana and Baloyi were taken to the nearest hospital, where Bozwana died with multiple gunshot wounds.
All four men were arrested on different dates between 2015 and 2016, and three of the four men were in custody since their arrests. However, Mathibela was granted R50,000 bail in December 2016 after he handed himself over at the Brooklyn police station in January 2016.
He was then rearrested in 2019 after he violated his bail conditions. His bail was subsequently revoked the money forfeited to the state. He has been in custody since.
In court, all four men pleaded not guilty.
“Advocate Jennifer Cronje told the court that she presented evidence to prove the guilt of the four men beyond reasonable doubt and that all four men had a common purpose in killing the deceased,” said Mahanjane.
The matter was postponed to August 4 for sentencing.
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