Suspect in journo killing had his parole revoked twice

One of the eight suspects arrested for the murders of journalist Aseri Ndlovu and his partner Zodwa Mdhluli had his parole revoked twice before his latest arrest.

Sello Uoane, the alleged triggerman in the murders of the couple, was nabbed on Monday together with Thato Madisha in Nokaneng, Mpumalanga. Police had been looking for the pair since Saturday.

Uoane was caught eight days after he was last seen at a place where he worked as a gardener as part of his community service for his parole. He was last released on parole on January 24 last year after serving seven years and six months in jail for assault, armed robbery and possession of unlicensed firearm, all committed in 2014.

Uoane was classified as a "high-risk offender" by correctional services and had to be monitored regularly after his release from prison, according to spokesperson Singabakho Nxumalo.

Records indicate that [Uoane] has been visited [by officers] at his residence 86 times since his most recent parole placement on 24 January 2024.

—  Singabakho Nxumalo, correctional services spokesperson

Before his latest arrest, Uoane had his parole revoked in July 2022, the same year it was granted, after it emerged that he had allegedly committed rape prior to his incarceration in 2015. But Nxumalo said Uoane's parole had to be reinstated soon afterwards when his rape case was struck off the roll.

In October 2023, Uoane's parole was again revoked after he was arrested for possession of an unlicensed firearm but the matter was also struck off the roll.

"Uoane has been classified as a high-risk offender. Records indicate that he has been visited at his residence 86 times since his most recent parole placement on 24 January 2024," said Nxumalo.

Uoane initially served a 3-year sentence in August 2015 at Zonderwater Medium-B correctional centre for assault with the intent to do grievous bodily harm he committed in 2014.

While serving this sentence, Uoane was further charged and convicted for a 2014 armed robbery and possession of an unlicensed firearm case. He was then handed an additional eight years, which he started serving in October 2017.

Nxumalo said the classification of paroloees and inmates determines how they are monitored.

"The risk classification determines the frequency at which a parolee is visited or visits our offices for monitoring, the type of community work that he/she is able to do; the hours spent under house arrest and the monitoring of movements," he said.

He said Uoane's last recorded community service was on May 3. He failed to report for his scheduled office visit which was last week Wednesday, three days before police declared him a wanted suspect in connection with Ndlovu and Mdhluli's kidnapping and murders.

Ndlovu and Mdhuli were reported missing in February 18, while human remains discovered in a Limpopo veld last week are believed to be theirs and have been taken for DNA testing.

According to National police spokesperson Brig Athlenda Mathe, the DNA results would be back in a month's time [from the date the bodies were found].

According to a source close to the investigations, Uoane is a well-known criminal in Mpumalanga and is known for hijacking cars, stripping them, removing tracking devices and then selling them.

The source said Uoane lived with his father, who could not remember when he last saw him when police raided the house, looking for him. The source said Uoane is believed to have been the one who pulled the trigger on the couple.

Eight people have since been arrested, including the driver of Ndlovu's e-hailing vehicle Samuel Mogongwe, 41.

Mdhluli's son, Treasure, had previously told Sowetan that Mogongwe had helped them look for his mother and stepfather after their disappearance.

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