A former soldier was found guilty of murdering his wife in 2024 by the Pinetown District Court.
Lwanda Mxolisi Zungu was found guilty of murdering his wife, Tania (36), at their home in Pinetown on 3 January 2024. Tania was shot in the head and neck. Their two sons and Tania’s mother were in the house when this happened.
Magistrate Muntukayise Khumalo found that the state had produced compelling and convincing evidence that led to Zungu being found guilty of murder.
“We have found that, if we look at all the evidence, the state has succeeded in proving the case against the accused beyond reasonable doubt,” said Khumalo.
In his defence, Zungu said Tania was the one who came to him with a gun after the argument. He said that the gun went off when they were fighting in the distance, and that Tania shot herself.
Khumalo said strong evidence clearly points to Zungu as the shooter. He also found that Zungu’s behavior after the shooting was not consistent with the behavior of an innocent person.
Instead of seeking medical help for his wife or reporting the incident to the police, Zungu removed the murder weapon from the scene and took a car to Johannesburg.
“His actions are not compatible with being innocent,” said the magistrate.
Zungu will be sentenced in August.