PRETORIA - Police Minister Bheki Cele and Hawks head Lieutenant-General Godfrey Lebeya have welcomed the hefty sentences handed to three men for their role in the murder of a police officer and a businessman.
Halalisani Eugene Gumede, 30, Lungisane Gamelihle Madlala, 27, and Ntuthuko Mseleku, 30, were sentenced in the High Court in Johannesburg this week to six life sentences plus 604 years imprisonment after they were found guilty of murder, attempted murder, armed robbery, possession of unlicensed firearms, and defeating and obstructing justice, the Hawks said in a statement.
In August 2016, the trio attacked and robbed a tavern in Palm Ridge, east of Johannesburg. The owner of the tavern, Mbakwa Ephraim Mdaka, 50, was contacted and when he arrived at his business he was shot dead.
The three took Mdaka's firearm, an undisclosed amount of money, and ransacked the tavern. As they drove away, local armed response security officials responding to the crime scene were confronted by Gumede, Mseleku, and Madlala, who overpowered them and took their firearms before speeding off.
An off-duty Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police officer, Constable Sabelo Welcome Ngwenya, 40, heard the commotion and rushed to the scene, "and immediately put himself on duty and chased after the accused's vehicle".
"Unbeknown to Ngwenya, the suspects were using two vehicles. He managed to corner one of the vehicles which had Gumede and Madlala inside. They, Gumede and Madlala, lost control of their vehicle and crashed into a tree, forcing their vehicle to stop not far from the crime scene."
While Ngwenya was arresting the accused, Mseleku, driving a black Toyota RunX, shot Ngwenya and fled with his two accomplices, the Hawks said.
A search for the suspects by the Hawks’ serious organised crime investigation unit and Ekurhuleni metropolitan police began. A week later, Gumede and Madlala were intercepted in Brakpan in Gauteng while they were driving to KwaZulu-Natal. During the search of their vehicle, police found five pistols and a revolver in the boot.
The following day, the investigation team followed up on intelligence information which led them to Rustenburg in the North West, where they arrested Mseleku at a local hotel.
"Further investigations revealed that the trio’s immense criminal activities included armed attacks on innocent victims where they forcibly removed and stole wedding rings, watches, and cash. Many civilians also felt the brunt of the cruelty when they were attacked at shopping centres, township taverns, and if they resisted they were then severely assaulted and shot at."
The trio were held in custody since their arrest and, on Thursday, Judge Cassim Moosa handed Gumede, Madlala, and Mseleku two life sentences each plus a total of 604 years imprisonment on 16 counts, including murder, attempted murder, robbery with aggravating circumstances, and unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition, the statement said.
“Although the heinous crimes and the loss of the lives cannot be reversed, the sentences demonstrate that justice is not only done but it is clearly seen to be done. I commend the investigation and prosecuting team that have, for five years, worked on these cases,” Lebeya said in the statement.
Cele also welcomed the long-term sentences "which serve as endorsement to the new approach to ensuring justice through enhanced relations" between the SAPS and the NPA.
“An attack on the police is an attack on the state. Anyone who is hellbent on undermining the authority of the state deserves to rot in jail,” Cele said.
He commended the investigators for a quality investigation that ensured a watertight case, resulting in the prosecutors securing a successful conviction.
Cele also assured the public that police would continue to work hard to fulfil the their constitutional mandate to ensure the safety and security of citizens. No effort would be spared in finding criminals and making sure that they faced the full might of the law, he said.