A dedicated investigation by three detectives at Alexandra Police Station resulted in a murderer receiving multiple life sentences in the South Gauteng High Court, Johannesburg.
A police bulletin attributed the work of Sergeant Bongani Mbonambi and constables Bheki Mhlongo and Simphiwe Madonsela of the Serious and Violent Crime Unit to the hefty sentences imposed on 25-year-old Delani Ayanda Mpungose for the fatal shootings of five victims and injuring of several others in June 2017.
Ten more years were added for attempted murder, 15 years for hijacking of a motor vehicle, five years for the theft of a motor vehicle, four years for the possession of an unlicensed firearm and one year for the possession of unlawful ammunition.
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“The dedicated investigation led by Mbonambi resulted in the arrest of five of seven suspects involved in a killing spree. They were driving the vehicles when they fatally shot or injured the victims in separate incidents,” the bulletin read. Warrants of re-arrests have been issued for four of the suspects who were released on bail and are now at large with the other two who evaded arrest. In the two years of their release, “Witnesses at homes and other nursing injuries in the hospital were reluctant with information and others relocated from Alex fearing for their lives.”
Mbonambi with 15 years of investigation experience and successful prosecutions behind him, attributed the successful outcome to Mhlongo and Madonsela, other police officers at the station and the high court where he said he learnt a lot.
“Communities put their faith in the police, and who will help them if we don’t?
“We [police] must put ourselves in their shoes because they can’t solve crimes and we took an oath to protect them.”
He said getting justice for victims should encourage the police to put away the bad guys regardless of the harsh working conditions.
“I wanted justice for children orphaned by the incidents, and those who were injured and lost their loved ones.”
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