Eastern Cape man sentenced to life for killing relative in mob attack.

A 33-year-old Eastern Cape man has been sentenced to life imprisonment for his role in a mob attack that claimed the life of his relative in September 2021.

The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) confirmed that Aphelele Tshangela was convicted of murdering Sandi Tshangela (35) on 14 September 2021.

According to the NPA, the killing followed an altercation between the deceased and another man at a local shebeen. Sandi allegedly later set the man’s house alight.

Tshangela and several others searched for Sandi throughout the night before finding him at approximately 06:00 the following morning.

The group assaulted him with sticks and dragged him along the ground using a rope. The attack continued for several hours before he died at approximately 11:00.

Five other participants were sentenced to 25 years’ imprisonment each in 2025 after pleading guilty.

Tshangela, who pleaded not guilty, was tried separately. Evidence from accomplices and his own admissions established his involvement in the killing.

Regional Court Prosecutor Anele Magibile condemned vigilantism, stressing that communities cannot take the law into their own hands.

The court sentenced Tshangela to life imprisonment and declared him unfit to possess a firearm.

Eastern Cape Director of Public Prosecutions, Advocate Samkelo Mtwana, welcomed the sentence, reiterating that the right to life must be respected.