Man gets 22 years for harbour cop murder

Kamini Padayachee

One of the men who planned and executed the hit on harbour policeman Johan Nortje is to spend the next 22 years in jail.

Nortje, 51, was shot dead in the driveway of his Montclair home on January 17.

He was an officer in the police’s protection security service and responsible for investigating the smuggling of goods and drugs through Durban’s harbour.

Nortje was involved in several investigations into the importing of counterfeit goods and spearheaded several multimillion-rand busts.

He was shot twice in the chest and died at the scene.

On Friday, Mandlenkosi Chiliza, 20, was sentenced by Judge Piet Koen in the Durban High Court.

Chiliza, Nkosinathi Ntuli, 27, and Bheki Khuzwayo, 44, were arrested in connection with Nortje’s murder by the Durban Organised Crime Unit. A fourth man, Philani Dlamini, 33, was killed by police in what officers said was a shoot-out in Umlazi on January 21.

Earlier this month, Chiliza pleaded guilty to charges relating to Nortje’s murder and named Ntuli and Khuzwayo as accomplices. Chiliza said he had been the lookout on January 17 and Dlamini had carried out the murder.

Chiliza said he had been approached by a man named Qwere-Qwere (Ntuli), who had told him of the “job” and that payment would be R30 000. He said Ntuli had provided the murder weapon. Khuzwayo drove the getaway vehicle.

Judge Koen said he had deviated from imposing the prescribed minimum sentence of life as Chiliza had been willing to testify against his co-accused. He had also taken into account Chiliza’s age.

Ntuli and Khuzwayo return to court on March 9. Police are seeking a fourth man, believed to have ordered the murder.