Emmanuel Sithole case: Accused found guilty of murder

The four men accused of killing Mozambican man Emmanuel Sithole in a savage attack that was caught on film, have been found guilty of murder. Mthinto Bhengu, Sizwe Mngomezulu, Ayanda Sibiya and Sifundi Mzimela stabbed Sithole to death on a street in northern Johannesburg township.

The accused appeared in court in Johannesburg on Friday, November 6, after they pleaded not guilty to robbing and killing the vendor.

Images of the killing went viral after the Sunday Times published the picture showing the attack.

All three of the accused and a minor have been found guilty of robbing the Mozambican in Alexandra during the height of the xenophobic attacks in April this year. The17-year-old was also found guilty of assault. 

 

Sentencing procedures have been set down for the beginning of next month.

Witnesses in the trial told the court that their efforts to intervene in the murder were unsuccessful, adding that the four men took turns trampling on him. 

 

The court also used pictures in the judgment detailing how the four accused were involved in the murder. 

In June, the Johannesburg Regional court heard how community members tried to intervene when Sithole was attacked by a group of youngsters.

The state's first witness, Sibusiso Mnyandu, described how the Mozambican was beaten and stabbed by four young men in Alexandra.

Mnyandu said he was too scared to intervene because he was worried his life would be in danger as foreigners were being attacked in the township at the time.

However, he said some community members tried to help the 25-year-old.