A Gauteng traffic officer, Zakhele Bennet Hlongwane, has been sentenced to life imprisonment for the premeditated murder of his wife, Tili Desire Ngobeni. The Pretoria High Court found that the 53-year-old broke into his wife’s bedroom in her family’s Mamelodi home on April 1, 2024, and shot her multiple times while their two young children were present.
Hlongwane surrendered to police approximately one hour after the killing. He later pleaded guilty, claiming the act was committed in a fit of rage, but the court rejected this argument. Judge Mashudu Munzhelele emphasized the brutality of the crime and Hlongwane’s betrayal of his duty as a law enforcement officer to protect citizens.
The court imposed additional sentences for illegally pointing a firearm and malicious property damage, to be served concurrently with the life term. The ruling was welcomed by prosecutors who highlighted the importance of accountability in cases of gender-based violence.
Hlongwane surrendered to police approximately one hour after the killing. He later pleaded guilty, claiming the act was committed in a fit of rage, but the court rejected this argument. Judge Mashudu Munzhelele emphasized the brutality of the crime and Hlongwane’s betrayal of his duty as a law enforcement officer to protect citizens.
The court imposed additional sentences for illegally pointing a firearm and malicious property damage, to be served concurrently with the life term. The ruling was welcomed by prosecutors who highlighted the importance of accountability in cases of gender-based violence.
