Durban man receives five life sentences for deadly shooting spree in Umlazi
A man has been sentenced to five life imprisonments for killing five people at Umlazi Uganda informal settlement in 2023.
Image: File
A man described by the Durban High Court as a belligerent individual who had no regard for human life has been handed five life sentences for a shooting spree that left five people dead in the Umlazi Uganda informal settlement.
Judge Rithy Singh sentenced 31-year-old Siphamandla ‘Chillies’ Gumede to life imprisonment for each of the five murders committed on November 13, 2023.
The victims were Nontlomelo Golumbiza, Nandipha Ndabeni, Nkosinathi Phutheni, Cebolenkosi Mbuzeleni Zwane, and Mabongi Nkwanyana.
In addition to the murder sentences, Gumede received 10 years' imprisonment for attempted murder and 15 years' imprisonment each for two counts of robbery with aggravating circumstances.
During the trial, the court heard that on the night of the attack, around 20:30, Gumede and his unknown accomplices first targeted the home of Golumbiza and her cousin Ndabeni.
They opened fire, killing Golumbiza and Phutheni, who both sustained multiple gunshot wounds to the head. Ndabeni died from gunshot wounds to the head, back, and neck. The attackers, together with Gumede, stole a television and cellphones.
They proceeded to the residence of Zwane and Nkwanyana, where they also opened fire, killing both.
Gumede's spree continued at the home of Ntobeko Mantengu. After knocking and being let in, Gumede shot Mantengu, stole his phone, and fled. Mantengu survived the attack.
While delivering the scathing assessment of the crimes, Judge Singh pointed out that Mantengu was lucky to survive the attack.
She noted that Gumede committed robberies for a television and cellphones that “in the grander scheme of things had little money value”.
“To attack the victims for items with such little value shows that the accused and his cohorts have scant value for life,” she declared.
She criticised Gumede's conduct, who disrespected the court after it found him guilty on August 11, 2025, and said he does not accept the verdict.
“From the moment of the verdict, you showed disrespect by addressing the court from the stairs leading up to the dock from the holding cells. You got argumentative with the court,” Judge Singh explained.
Additionally, she explained that Gumede refused to participate in the mitigation of sentence as he did not give any instructions to his lawyer, T. Mthembu.
Even when the court requested that prosecutor advocate Gugu Xulu get social workers to do a pre-sentence report, Gumede refused to participate.
The judge noted that in the absence of any exceptional circumstances presented for consideration, the court had no basis to deviate from the prescribed minimum sentences.
“The courts are not to deviate from minimum sentences in the absence of exceptional circumstances. Courts would provide a lesser sentence if it is satisfied that there are exceptional circumstances,” she explained.
She said all the court knew was that at the time Gumede committed the offences, he was 28 years old and had been working. “All of this was revealed during the trial.”
She ordered the sentences to run concurrently, declaring Gumede unfit to possess a firearm.
Outside the courtroom, the situation quickly became tense. When media personnel asked Mthembu for his name, he responded aggressively.
“I don't want my name published. Publish it at your own risk. If you publish it, that would be without my consent,” he stated, visibly shaking with anger.
“We will meet at the grave,” he threatened, while taking a video of the journalists with his phone and pointing his finger at them.