Justice Partially Served: Ncengwa’s Sentencing Exposes ANC’s Festering Culture of Political Murder and Corruption
- Digital Comms Team
- Jul 7
- 4 min read
MEDIA STATEMENT
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Johannesburg, South Africa, Monday 7 July 2025 — Public Interest SA welcomes the sentencing of convicted assassin Sibusiso Ncengwa, who has finally admitted his role in the cold-blooded 2017 assassination of former ANC Youth League Secretary-General, Sindiso Magaqa. The imposition of two life sentences - serving an effective 25 years in jail - marks a symbolic, albeit belated, step toward justice for Magaqa’s family and all those who continue to suffer under the yoke of political violence in South Africa.
However, the public must not be lulled into thinking this sentencing is justice in full — it is justice abridged.
Ncengwa’s chilling confession laid bare the ANC’s deeply entrenched culture of political patronage, rot, and deadly ambition. The fact that Magaqa’s murder was tied to the ruthless contestation for government positions — a hallmark of ANC factionalism — is both tragic and damning. It lays to rest any pretence that the ruling party is capable of self-correction when its members resort to mafia-style executions to secure public office and loot public coffers.
More disturbingly, Ncengwa's confession implicates members of the legal profession who accepted large sums of illicitly obtained cash to mount his defence. That lawyers willingly accepted money from unemployed individuals, likely knowing — or choosing not to know —that such fees were funded through blood money, raises grave questions about the ethical and regulatory oversight of legal practice in South Africa. These revelations are a chilling reminder of how systemic corruption corrodes not just political parties, but the broader criminal justice system.
While justice has caught up with Ncengwa, the truth remains buried with Mluleki Ndobe, the late uMzimkhulu Mayor, who was widely believed to have masterminded Magaqa’s assassination. Ndobe’s death denied the country a full accounting of who sanctioned the hit, who benefited, and who continues to shield the perpetrators. As such, the true depth of the conspiracy remains unexposed.
As the criminal trial of the remaining accused continues, we earnestly hope that the full weight of the law will be brought to bear, and that justice — comprehensive, impartial, and unflinching — will ultimately prevail. The pursuit of truth must not falter, and those who orchestrated, enabled, or concealed this heinous crime must be held fully accountable, no matter how powerful or well-connected they may be.
This week’s developments are particularly poignant as they follow two equally alarming events:
The explosive revelations made by KZN SAPS Commissioner General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, who directly implicated senior SAPS officials, including Deputy National Commissioner Shadrack Sibiya, in corrupt practices that undermine investigations into political killings; and
The funeral of a senior auditor from the City of Ekurhuleni, whose assassination bears all the hallmarks of a targeted hit linked to his work exposing billions in alleged municipal corruption.
It is patently clear that political assassinations are not isolated events but form part of a broader culture of impunity, enabled by compromised law enforcement, self-serving politicians, and a compromised criminal justice system.
Public Interest SA reiterates the following urgent demands, which are necessary to restore public confidence in South Africa’s justice system and democratic institutions:
Immediate Reinstatement and Strengthening of the Political Killings Task Team
The Minister of Police must immediately rescind his ill-advised directive to disband the Political Killings Task Team. This unit, though under-resourced and under pressure, has played a crucial role in investigating politically motivated crimes, particularly in KwaZulu-Natal and other violence-prone provinces. Disbanding it amid an escalating crisis of political assassinations sends a dangerously irresponsible signal to both perpetrators and victims. Instead of dismantling it, the Task Team should be capacitated with adequate personnel, forensic support, and independent oversight to ensure impartial and efficient investigations.
Enforcement of FICA and Legal Profession Accountability Measures
The revelations around defence lawyers accepting large cash payments from unemployed accused persons must be urgently probed. We call for the rigorous enforcement of the Financial Intelligence Centre Act (FICA) provisions and related anti-money laundering statutes within the legal sector. Legal professionals must be compelled to conduct proper due diligence to identify and report suspicious transactions, failing which they should face criminal prosecution and disciplinary sanction. The Legal Practice Council and the Financial Intelligence Centre must act decisively to root out legal enablers of corruption and violent crime.
Comprehensive and Independent Whistleblower and Witness Protection Programme
The existing whistleblower and witness protection frameworks are gravely inadequate, especially in the face of a rising number of assassinations linked to public procurement and anti-corruption efforts. We call for the urgent establishment of an independent, well-funded, and transparently administered Whistleblower and Witness Protection Authority, with the mandate to shield those who expose wrongdoing from both physical harm and financial ruin. Particular focus must be placed on safeguarding individuals operating within local government spheres, where accountability deficits are most acute.
Full Transparency and Accountability from the African National Congress (ANC)
The ANC can no longer credibly distance itself from the culture of impunity and intra-party violence that has come to define its internal contestations for power. The party’s leadership must end the protectionist culture that shields implicated members from scrutiny and instead submit itself fully to independent investigations into political violence and corruption. The time for equivocation and selective outrage has passed. Public Interest SA calls on the ANC to publicly disclose all internal disciplinary records and legal proceedings involving its members linked to political violence or corruption, and to cooperate unreservedly with law enforcement and prosecutorial authorities.
Full Inquiry on the Cause of Death
We also urge a full, independent inquiry into the credible suspicions held by the Magaqa family that he may have been poisoned during his post-surgical recovery — an allegation that, if substantiated, would deepen the gravity of this already heinous crime.
Commenting on the sentencing, Public Interest SA Chairperson, Mr Tebogo Khaas, stated: “South Africa cannot afford to normalise the killings of whistleblowers, political actors, and public servants. The moral decay revealed by Ncengwa’s confession is a mirror to a state at war with its own future.
We honour the memory of Sindiso Magaqa not just with words, but by demanding that every thread of this conspiracy be unravelled and every complicit actor held to account”.
ENDS.
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Issued by:
Media and Communications
Public Interest SA
📞 +27 10 005 5884
NOTE TO EDITORS: Public Interest SA will soon be announcing details of the highly anticipated 2025 Whistleblowers Awards and Summit, which continues to honour courage, integrity, and the pursuit of accountability.
