A 28-year-old KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) man has been sentenced to two life terms plus 35 years in jail after he was found guilty of several crimes, including kidnapping, murder and rape.
Sphamandla Ndimande appeared in the Ezakheni Regional Court, where the sentence was handed down.
Guilty
He was found guilty of two counts of rape, two counts of kidnapping, attempted murder and robbery with aggravating circumstances.
Police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda said the sentence was handed down on 22 April 2026.
“On 20 April 2024, a man was walking with his girlfriend and her friend at Waaihoek area in Ezakheni when they came across Ndimande, who drew a firearm and shot the man in both legs.
“He then robbed the two women of their cellphones before forcing them to the nearby bushes, where he raped them overnight. The following morning, Ndimande let the women go by pushing them off the cliff,” Netshiunda said.
Arrest
Netshiunda said the Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) detectives collected all evidence through thorough investigations.
“Ndimande was positively linked with the crimes and was arrested. The investigating team presented a strong case in court, which convinced the presiding officer to keep Ndimande incarcerated until the day of this sentencing.”
Doctor’s court appearance
Meanwhile, in another incident, a 69-year-old KZN doctor arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting four female patients at a hospital in KZN is expected to make his first appearance in the Madadeni Magistrate’s Court on Thursday, 30 April.
The medical practitioner was handcuffed by the KZN Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences detectives working with Madadeni police officers.
Sexual assaults
Police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda said the doctor was arrested at his workplace in Madadeni on Tuesday, 28 April.
“The 69-year-old doctor allegedly sexually assaulted four of his female patients at a hospital in Madadeni between August 2025 and April 2026.
“The suspect would allegedly touch the victims inappropriately on their breasts and private parts, and he also allegedly forced some of them to perform sexual acts on him,” Netshiunda said.
Netshiunda added that the victims reported the incident to a whistleblower, who anonymously alerted the police.
