The two men who, in June 2023, stormed a church in Nseleni township and killed a pastor who was also a councillor of the African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP) in the City of Umhlathuze (Richards Bay-Empangeni) have been sentenced to life behind bars.

Phakamani Eugene Khumalo (33) and Sandile Mthokozisi Mabuyakhulu (33) were also handed 11 years and 6 months imprisonment for possession of illegal firearms and ammunition by the Ngwelezane regional court.

At first, it was thought that John Myaka’s killing was meant to destabilise the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) led coalition in the City of Umhlathuze, where his vote was crucial.

After an investigation by the police, it was found that Khumalo and Mabuyakhulu were hired by a person known as ‘Nonhlanhla’, who sold a property worth R70 000 to Myaka, and when it was time for Myaka to take occupation of the property, Nonhlanhla then organised hitmen to kill him.

That was because the property did not solely belong to Nonhlanhla, instead it was a family property. Khumalo and Mabuyakhulu were then recruited to kill Myaka for an amount of R20 000. Half of this amount was paid as a deposit before the execution of the job.

On the evening of the offence, Myaka was at his church with other congregants when he was shot and killed. The shooter fled on foot. Police followed up on leads which resulted in the arrest of the men.

The police also followed up on the whereabouts of Nonhlanhla and discovered that she had died.

In court, Prosecutor Elvis Gcweka led the evidence of several witnesses as well as cell phone records showing the conversations between Nonhlanhla and the men. The cellphone records further placed the accused at the scene. Evidence also indicated that the property sold to Myaka had not belonged to Nonhlanhla alone, but it was family owned.