South Africa jails Zimbabwean killer for 350 years

A ZIMBABWEAN who with his wife masterminded the murder, kidnapping, rape, assault and extortion of his fellow countrymen in South Africa, has been sentenced to 350 years imprisonment in the neighbouring country.

A Judge at the South Gauteng High Court convicted Charles Cecil Brewer (36), alias Boss, of Nketa 7 in Bulawayo on his own plea of guilty to 62 charges that included murder, rape, robbery, extortion and assault.

The gang is suspected to be part of a larger syndicate and is accused of killing Olga Gwena (25) of Chitungwiza and Esther Mwenda of Harare, among others.

Brewer is the alleged leader of the gang which includes his South African wife, Madida Petition Sicelo (30) alias Sister, Jaheni "Satan" Luphahla (28) of Old Lobengula in Bulawayo and Phathumuzi "KK" Sibanda (27) of Emakhandeni in Bulawayo.

Luphahla allegedly earned the Satan moniker in the South African underworld for reputedly being "wickeder than Lucifer himself."

Brewer will, however, serve only 20 years in prison after the court set aside 330 years in return for him to identify and testify against more members of the syndicate that are still at large.

The syndicate allegedly committed the crimes between May 30 and July 11 last year.