🚨 Bolo TV News Network • June 22, 2026
SENTENCED TO LIFE: Limpopo High Court Jails Thohoyandou Public Order Police Sergeant for Brutal Shooting of Landlord’s Son
BY AFRIKABELO NEWS | #THOHOYANDOU #COURTVERDICT #JUSTICESERVED #LIMPOPOHIGHCOURT #SAPSCRIME
THOHOYANDOU – The Limpopo High Court sitting in Thohoyandou has handed down a sentence of life imprisonment to a senior SAPS member, 46-year-old Sergeant Nditsheni Lefty Mphephu, for the cold-blooded murder of his landlord’s son following a dispute over loud music.
Mphephu, who was an active member of the Public Order Policing Unit in Thohoyandou, was convicted earlier this month for the fatal shooting of Teith Muthegi. The high court's final ruling brings a definitive end to a prolonged legal process marked by investigation bottlenecks and temporary case withdrawals.
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Tragic Confrontation During Exam Season
The state’s evidence revealed that the incident occurred on 20 November 2023 in Makwarela, Thohoyandou, where Mphephu was renting residential property owned by Muthegi’s father. At around 10:00 pm, the off-duty sergeant was washing his vehicle while playing exceptionally loud music from the car's sound system.
Muthegi approached the officer to request that he lower the volume, explaining that local students in the area were trying to study for their final year-end examinations. Infuriated by the confrontation, Mphephu stormed into his house, fetched his service weapon, and fired six shots directly into Muthegi’s upper body and stomach.
Following the shooting, the sergeant fled the scene to Vuwani, where he was tracked down and arrested the next day. Muthegi tragically succumbed to his multiple injuries five days later on 25 November 2023, causing the state to elevate the initial charge from attempted murder to murder.
State Overcomes Legal Delays to Secure Conviction
The road to justice was heavily delayed. Though initially denied bail, Mphephu secured an intermediate R20,000 release. The case was even struck off the court roll at one stage due to outstanding ballistic reports, leading the sergeant to believe he had escaped prosecution.
However, once the scientific profiling was finalized, the state immediately reinstated the murder charges. In addition to the life sentence, the court has officially declared Mphephu permanently unfit to possess a firearm.
"Law enforcement officials are mandated to uphold civil order, not exploit their authority and issued weapons to terrorize community members. This life sentence reinforces accountability."
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