Two jailed for slitting friend’s throat and breaking his legs

Two men from Eastern Cape have been sentenced to 15 years in jail on Tuesday.

Andile Mpindyana, 23, and Xhanti Sizani, 26, were accused of stabbing their friend with nail clippers, slitting his throat and breaking his legs so his body would fit in a duvet cover.

The murder of Andile Jonathan Mbambani in January 2018 happened in Port Elizabeth.

Magistrate Pumla Sibiya described this as one of the most gruesome murders.

Regional spokesperson of the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), Anelisa Ngcakani, said the Port Elizabeth Regional Court heard that Mpindyana, Sizani and Mbambani were friends and robbed together prior to the evening of the murder.

The court was further told that Mbambani kept some stolen products from the robbery away from the other two.

On 29 January 2018, the two accused and an unidentified man, who died shortly before the other two were arrested, went to Mbambani’s home.

“They found him enjoying a quiet evening with his girlfriend. They pointed firearms at both of them, assaulted him, stabbed him with nail clippers and slit his throat with a knife.

“They then tried to stuff his body into a duvet but it could not fit. Then the three jumped on his legs and broke them so that his body could fit,” Ngcakani said.

His body was then rolled up into a bundle and placed behind one of the doors in the house.

His girlfriend was able to escape and report the matter to members of the community.

After the KwaDwesi police recovered the body, Mpindyana and Sizani were arrested in February 2018.

State prosecutor advocate Benedict Wilson told the court this was one of the most gruesome murders he had ever prosecuted.

“It has left a permanent scar in the mind of the witness. The community needs to be protected from such criminals. The community looks towards the courts to send out a clear message that these violent crimes will not be tolerated,” he said.