A Fridge Technician was sentenced by the Durban High Court in KZN to life in prison for the murder of a student Pilot and an additional ten (10) years for rape.
Ndabenhle Majola (36) was arrested by Warrant Officer Pravin Seebaluka & his team from SAPS Sydenham in KZN following the discovery of a body on a farm in Canelands – KZN on the night of July 16th, 2024.
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The victim was strangled to death, stored in a trunk of a car & dumped the next day.
Reaction Unit South Africa (RUSA) received the call for assistance from a farmer who was patrolling his farm on the same night, reporting that a pair of feet was seen sticking out of the grass.
Responding Reaction Officers arrived on scene at 22:23 & established that the deceased was missing trainee Pilot Iman Tshakeni.
She was initially identified by her brightly coloured pink hair. Officers found her lying face up, with a string around her neck, hands tied & her underwear removed.
SAPS Detectives established that Tshakeni, an Eastern Cape resident was kidnapped from a tavern in the vicinity of the Clare Estate Crematorium in KZN in a Ford Ranger.
She was raped & murdered before being transported 32 kilometers away and dumped.
The South African Police Services (SAPS), Reaction Unit South Africa (RUSA) SAPS Forensics, Tracking Companies, friends of the deceased and a friend of the accused were all subpoenaed to give evidence in the trial in October/November 2025.
The charge of Kidnapping was eventually withdrawn after it was established that Tshakeni had left with her murderer voluntarily.
A friend of the accused testified that he was transported to work in the a VW Golf unaware that a body was lying in the boot.
Majola informed the court that he had not killed Iman Tshakeni & he was tracked to the location as he had stopped to look for water on that day after his vehicle had over heated.
He further explained that he had found a used bottle of coolant, topped up the radiator & left and had no knowledge that a body was at the same vicinity.
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The presiding Magistrate found him guilty on both counts and sentenced him to life imprisonment plus ten (10) years.
Ndabenhle Majola, a South African National will serve his life sentence at Westville Prison in Kwazulu Natal.
