Murder files: Former UKZN professor’s killers in court

Kwanele Thomas Ntuli, 29, Kwazi Kunene, 29, and Simphiwe Charles Ngcoya, 36, have been  sentenced to an effective 25 years in prison in the Pietermaritzburg High Court after they pleaded guilty to the robbery and murder of Francois Jean Hugo, 83,  in Hilton, near Pietermaritzburg.

National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson for KwaZulu-Natal, Natasha Ramkisson-Kara said that Hugo, a retired professor from the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN), lived alone and the men who had committed the robbery and murder knew that he often left his doors open. 

“They decided to go to his house and rob him with the intention of selling his items. When they got there, they found the door open and when Hugo walked into them, they attacked him,” she said.

“They bound his legs and feet and assaulted him. They also tied his pyjama pants tightly around his neck and gagged his mouth. In their plea, they acknowledged that by gagging Hugo and tying his pants around his neck, they considered that he could have died, but they continued irrespective,” she said.

Ramkisson-Kara said that the men had then packed items such as a laptop, cellphones, shoes, keys and kitchen appliances into his car and fled the scene of the crime. 

“They were arrested when they returned to the scene to steal more items. Upon arrest, they confessed to the crime and cooperated with the police,” she said.

Family struggling with loss after brutal murder

Senior State Advocate, Mbongeni Mthembu presented the court with  victim impact statements compiled by Hugo’s son, housekeeper, brother-in-law and colleagues. 

“In their statements, they all described Hugo as a humble and kind person who was a talented and a valuable member of the community. His son said that their family had suffered a huge loss and they were struggling to get over Hugo’s death,” Ramkisson-Kara said.

The men were sentenced to 15 years imprisonment for robbery and 25 years imprisonment for the murder, which they committed in April 2021. The court ordered the sentences would run concurrently.

Ramkisson Kara said the NPA welcomed the swift finalisation of the matter.