School Principal’s Secret Relationship Ends In Life Sentence
A former KwaZulu-Natal school principal and her lover have been sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of her husband, Durban Metro Police Captain Zwelakhe Ntombela, bringing to a close one of the province’s most high-profile murder cases. The pair were convicted alongside others implicated in the plot, with the victim’s wife having admitted to luring her husband into an ambush before he was fatally shot.
Judge Tells School Principal She ‘Ruined’ Her Own Life
The Sunday Tribune reports that the KwaZulu-Natal Local Division of the High Court in Durban sentenced former Mpumulwane Primary School principal Sithembiso Justice Khumalo, 56, and her lover, Khulani Cele, 48, to life imprisonment after finding them guilty of murdering Captain Ntombela.
Handing down sentence on 24 June 2026, Judge Bruce Bedderson said Khumalo had no one else to blame for her downfall.
Addressing her in court, the judge said:
“You are the one who ruined your life.”
Judge Bedderson questioned why someone who had enjoyed a respected position as a school principal and a stable household income would become involved in such a serious crime.
He added:
“Although you are 56 years old, there is nothing before this court that warrants a lesser sentence. Life imprisonment is the only sentence you deserve.”
According to the Sunday Tribune, the judge found no substantial or compelling circumstances that justified departing from the prescribed minimum sentence. He also criticised Khumalo for showing no remorse during the trial and said she had attempted to mislead the court by claiming to suffer from kidney and heart ailments. Following the judge’s remarks, Khumalo reportedly broke down in tears in the dock.
In addition to life imprisonment for murder, Khumalo received concurrent prison terms for unlawfully possessing the slain officer’s firearm and ammunition, as well as defeating the ends of justice. Cele, who was already serving a life sentence for a separate murder committed in 2014, also received another life sentence. Both were declared unfit to possess firearms.
How The Murder Plot Unfolded And Everyone Involved Was Convicted
Captain Ntombela was shot shortly after arriving at his home in Umlazi on 3 May 2023. He was robbed of both his private and service firearms before being rushed to hospital in Isipingo, where he later died from his injuries.
According to the Sunday Tribune, investigators eventually unravelled the murder plot after the gunman was arrested. The investigation linked several suspects, including Captain Ntombela’s wife, school principal Sithembiso Justice Khumalo, and her lover, Khulani Cele.
The publication states that Khumalo later admitted to luring her husband outside to manually close the gate, where the gunman was waiting to ambush him.
“She had persuaded her husband to go outside to manually close the gate, where the gunman was waiting to ambush and shoot him.”
The investigation also resulted in the recovery of Captain Ntombela’s firearms and the arrest of additional suspects connected to the killing. Over time, all those implicated in the murder were successfully prosecuted.
Hitman Already Serving Life Sentence Receives Another Life Term
The IOL reports that Khulani Cele was already serving a life sentence for a separate murder committed in 2014 when he was convicted in Captain Ntombela’s murder.
Judge Bruce Bedderson rejected Cele’s plea for a lighter sentence after evidence emerged that he had falsely claimed to hold a Civil Engineering degree from the University of the Western Cape.
Besides life imprisonment for murder, Khumalo was sentenced to concurrent prison terms for unlawfully possessing firearms, unlawful possession of ammunition and defeating the ends of justice. Both she and Cele were also declared unfit to possess firearms.
The latest sentences mean every person convicted for their role in Captain Ntombela’s murder has now received lengthy prison terms, bringing the years-long criminal case to its conclusion.