Durban – A 30-year-old man, Sphamandla “Chillies” Gumede, has been sentenced to five life terms — plus an additional 40 years — after being found guilty of murder, attempted murder, and robbery.
According to South African Police Service (SAPS) spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda, the Durban High Court handed down the sentence on Friday, 31 October, for crimes committed in Umlazi in November 2023.
Netshiunda detailed the gruesome crime scene and the extensive investigation that led to Gumede’s conviction for the five murders.
“Just after midnight on 13 November 2023, six people were shot at Uganda informal settlement in Umlazi. Five of them died and one survived with gunshot wounds.
#sapsKZN Umlazi mass murderer sentenced to 5 terms of LIFE imprisonment. The Durban High Court has on Friday, 31/10, sentenced 30yr-old Sphamandla “Chillies” Gumede to five terms of life imprisonment plus 40 years’ in prison after he was found guilty for the murder of five… pic.twitter.com/ge46TIwxAB
— SA Police Service 🇿🇦 (@SAPoliceService) November 4, 2025
“The Provincial Murder and Robbery Unit detectives attended to the crime scene and took over the investigations.
“Shrewd investigative work unmasked the identity of the suspect, and with efforts of finding him proving insufficient, dedicated investigators connected the dots and found that the man they were looking for was in Qalakabosha Prison following his arrest on a different case of murder which he had committed in Eshowe,” said Netshiunda.
Th suspect has been charged with five counts of murder, one count of attempted murder, and two counts of robbery.
Police successfully opposed his bail application; thus, the suspect will remain in custody until his sentencing.
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Compiled by Anda Tolibadi
