Twenty-year jail sentences were imposed on two Zululand bus drivers on Thursday who took part in the murder of a colleague they thought was a threat to them. The two were told the victim had threatened them as they were members of a rival group of bus operators.

Mthembeni Zulu (39) of Nongoma, and Muziwenhlanhla Mthimkhulu (45) of Melmoth, pleaded guilty to the murder of Nkosentsha Xulu, leader of a rival group, in July this year.

They had been told that Xulu had hired a conductor, Biyela, to kill them and two other colleagues.

Judge Piet Koen said the pair felt terrified. They reported the threat to the police but Biyela denied everything.

Because of the perceived threat to them, they became part of a group planning to kill Xulu.

Xulu was shot dead by a hired killer using an AK47 automatic rifle which police later found in the possession of accused Mthimkhulu.

Koen said the two drivers faced unique circumstances in which their lives and those of their families were threatened.

The judge found substantial and compelling circumstances in favour of the accused which allowed him to impose lesser sentences.

They had no previous convictions, showed remorse by pleading guilty, and they appeared to be good candidates for rehabilitation.

However, their participation in the murder was a serious mistake although it was not a "routine" murder.

Mthimkhulu was also sentenced to five years' jail for the unlawful possession of the AK47 but Koen ordered that sentence to run concurrently with the 20 years.