Mthatha – The South African Police Service (SAPS) says a 31-year-old man from Port St Johns, Eastern Cape, has been sentenced to an effective 152 years’ imprisonment and one life sentence for a series of violent crimes, including robbery, kidnapping and murder.
Masixole Tyongwana, from the Butho locality in Port St Johns, was sentenced by the Mthatha High Court on Thursday, 12 March 2026, after being convicted on 16 charges stemming from a crime spree committed with his now-deceased accomplice on 27 January 2024.
According to police, the pair kidnapped a 22-year-old man while he was with his girlfriend in the Butho area.
“Masixole and his accomplice from Ngqeleni kidnapped a 22-year-old male victim whilst he was with his girlfriend at Butho locality. They robbed them of household goods, including sound systems and cellphones, tied both his hands, and drove away in the victim’s Corsa Utility bakkie,” police said.
Investigators said the suspects went on to target additional victims in the same locality.
“In the same locality, other victims were assaulted and also robbed of household goods, which were all loaded into the Corsa bakkie,” SAPS said.
Police said the female victim was later released, while the abducted man was killed.
#sapsEC Masixole Tyongwana (31) of Butho locality in Port St Johns has been sentenced to an effective 152 years’ imprisonment and one life sentence by the Mthatha High Court on Thursday, 12/03, for sixteen charges including robbery, kidnapping and murder committed with his… pic.twitter.com/YuxSyJxabo
— SA Police Service 🇿🇦 (@SAPoliceService) March 15, 2026
“The female victim was eventually untied and released at an unknown place, whilst the 22-year-old male victim was shot and killed, and his lifeless body was dumped at Ngqongweni locality in Ngqeleni,” SAPS added.
An intensive investigation by Port St Johns detectives, the OR Tambo Search and Rescue Team and the Vehicle Crime Investigative Section led to the recovery of the hijacked vehicle along the R61 near KwaDosi in Mthatha.
Tyongwana was arrested on 1 February 2024 and later confessed to the crimes.
“The confession and pointing out led to the recovery of the deceased male victim’s body in Ngqeleni and the robbed items in Mthatha Slovo Park,” police said.
His alleged accomplice was never brought to court after he was killed by an angry mob at Mthatha’s Slovo Park in January 2025.
Tyongwana first appeared in the Port St Johns Magistrate’s Court on 2 May 2024, where he was denied bail before the case was transferred to the High Court.
He made his first appearance in the High Court on 22 May 2024 before being sentenced this month.
“Masixole Tyongwana was sentenced on Thursday, 12 March 2026, to a total of one hundred and fifty-two years’ imprisonment, which will run concurrently with the life sentence for murder,” SAPS said.
Follow African Insider on Facebook, X and Instagram
Picture: Pixabay
For more African news, visit Africaninsider.com
Compiled by Betha Madhomu
