The man who killed Senior Superintendent Mariemuthoo Desmond Arumugam, a KwaDukuza traffic officer, has been sentenced to life imprisonment, bringing what his family calls “bittersweet closure.”
Arumugam, 50, was shot multiple times on November 4, 2024, while investigating a stationary taxi on the N2 Groutville off-ramp. Philakahle Hloniphani Dladla, 26, was convicted of murder, two counts of robbery with aggravating circumstances, and firearm offenses.
On Thursday, the Durban High Court sentenced Dladla to life for murder, plus 15 years for each robbery and five years each for illegal firearm and ammunition possession. The sentences will run concurrently, and he was declared unfit to possess a firearm.
Arumugam’s brother, Bazil, said the family is still grieving. “His children are still struggling to deal with his death, and our elderly mother still looks for him,” he told the POST. He expressed disappointment that the other sentences run concurrently, arguing the killer could one day be released.
Bazil also called for stronger punishments like the death penalty for serious crimes, stating current sentences fail to deter repeat offenders.
During the trial, the court heard that Dladla robbed the taxi driver and passengers at gunpoint before shooting Arumugam when he arrived on the scene.