The family of the slain reggae star musician lucky Dube has rejoiced with some bit of relief and consolation, as the three men accused of Lucky’s murder were found guilty of all charges in a South African high court on March 31.

             At the South-African high court in Johannesburg on Tuesday being the 31 of March 2009, the high court judge Sean Moshidi found Sifiso Mhlanga, Mbuti Mabe and Julius Gxowa guilty of the murder of lucky Dube, who was gunned down during a botched hijacking in Rosettenville in October 2007.

            “What happened to uBaba (Dube) was really traumatic to all of us, but we are happy that these killers have been found guilty. We know they are being brought to book and we can now have closure” said the slain star’s son, Thokozani.

            Thokozani along with his sister Nonkulueko was present when these car hijackers murdered their star father. The two children were bidding their beloved father farewell on the driveway of their uncle’s home following a dinner outing at Eastgate mall when the killers attacked him, and they never knew that this would be the last farewell to their beloved father, an unpredictable life we are living.

             Outside the court, family members and the late star’s band members where seen in white t-shirts with Dube’s face emblazoned upon them. The heart-broken Dube junior said that he hoped his father’s murderers would get a “proper sentence”.  While the late star’s wife, Zanele was too nervous to talk to the media, as she only waved hand, dismissing any further questions regarding her feelings on the guilty verdict passed by the presiding judge.  The lost has been lost; I guess that must be the woman’s feelings.

            One of the killers, Mabe was also found guilty on an additional charge relating to the hijacking of a green VW Polo used in Lucky Dube’s botched hijacking.

             On the same vain, Mhlanga and Gxowa also received a guilty verdict in relation to a charge of possessing an unlicensed firearm while Mhlanga was found guilty for possessing ammunition. Quoting the judge, Moshidi at the ruling, “The court is satisfied that the state has proven guilty of all the three accused”. Court?

            In his ruling, Judge Moshidi exempted Thabo Maruping, a man initially arrested with the three, but who later turned state witness, from prosecution. The entire citizens of South Africa and all the Dube’s fans worldwide rejoiced at this fair judgement.

            Lucky Dube, a South African born reggae musician, began his musical career from the age of 18, by joining his cousin’s band, “The Love Brothers”. His inspiration came from the socio-political messages from reggae artists like Peter Tosh and Jimmy Cliff. His first album was “Rastas Never Die”, and was banned by the South African government because the album speaked against apartheid. He won several musical awards including the award of the “Best Selling African Artist” by OKTV and others. He sold more than 3 million albums worldwide in just a two-decade career.

POLICE NABBED THE KILLERS AS THEY TRIED TO ESCAPE BEFORE COURT HEARING.

            Earlier before the final hearing of the murder conviction case of the late star Lucky Dube, two of the accused murderers who were remanded in Police custody at Johannesburg Central Police Station’s high-risk Security detention center, rather than at Johannesburg prison where they had been kept since.

             The request to remand them there came after Mabe and Mhlanga assaulted a police officer in a foiled attempt to escape from the court on Tuesday morning of that week. They also assaulted a police officer by hitting him with a brick, when he tried to stop them from escaping.

             Prior to the court hearing, the Judge Moshidi ordered that everyone entering the court room be searched, I quote “I suggest, in view of this development that security should be beefed up. People going into this court should be searched and court orderliness must do their work…they have been too relaxed” said Moshidi. The duo that listened to their guilty verdict in bloodied bandages covering head injuries sustained on Tuesday morning have also been charged with attempted escape from lawful custody and assault.

             Further hearings on the final sentencing continues on Wednesday, though the killers showed no remorse of their acts even as they looked boldly at media video coverings at the court hearing. Dube’s family is escaping at least 25 years jail term for the killers, before they can even seek for a parole. For more details, visit www.sowetan.co.za/News/Article.aspx?id=935817 and www.sowetan.co.za/News/Article.aspx?id=931762

WHAT A TRIBALISTIC REASONING

              It is quite shocking to hear the merciless killers and hijackers, who murdered the South African born reggae icon, Lucky Dube on 18^th October 2007 while he was driving home from a dinner gathering with his uncle and children; said that they killed him because they thought he was a Nigerian.

            These tribalistic murderers were not ashamed saying that the citizens of Nigeria residing in their country have contributed to more unemployment for them, so they thought it wise to murder any of them that they crashed upon. But many still find this statement incredible, as the murdered victim was a very known and popular face, which must be well known to such group as these murderers.

FINALLY THE KILLERS ARE SENTENCED

            On Thursday being the 2^nd of April 2009, Judge Moshidi at the South Gauteng High Court in South Africa, sentence the three killers, who murdered the reggae icon, lucky Dube in front of his children in late 2007. The judge sentenced Sifiso Mhlanga to a 34-year life jail, Julius Gxowa, 32 and Mbuti Mabe, 31 in addition to a 15-year jail term for attempted robbery. They will not be eligible for any parole.

             At the prosecution witness was singer Thuthukani Cele, who described Dube saying, “He loved his music, he was a very humble person and he was a very humorous person”. But we all know that a life sentence is simply regarded as 25 years, which is not good enough for such Carlos act by inhumane mobsters.

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