Crack detective wins top-cop award

The Yeoville SAPS Police Officer of the Month, Warrant Officer John Sello Munyai, commended the community for its help to police officers.

W/O Munyai joined the SAPS in 1996.

He served with the tracing unit based at the Yeoville SAPS and he worked as a detective at the same police station since 1999.

“With all large cases I have investigated over the years, the community has played a crucial role in solving them. The case which resulted in me receiving the award dates back to July last year, when a man stabbed his girlfriend with a screwdriver 40 times.

“He did this in front of her four-year-old child. She was inside their Yeoville flat when he started stabbing her. She tried to jump from the first floor balcony and he grabbed her. He continued stabbing her while holding her. He then dropped her from the balcony. He jumped on top of her from the balcony and again continued to stab her. Her body was later found – she had no nose.

“He then tried to escape but the community chased him,” said W/O Munyai.

W/O Munyai said the man denied killing the woman.

“I was tasked to prove his guilt beyond a reasonable double. He disposed of the screwdriver, which made investigations difficult as there was no murder weapon. No one was willing to come forward with information and he was denying the charges.

“The following day we found her nose under her bed and someone told us they had seen where the man had placed the screwdriver. It was only metres away from the police station,” he said.

He said through the information received, he was able to secure a 20 year sentence for the suspect.

Neighbour killed

In an unrelated case, a man was killed by his neighbour, whom he owed R2 500.

“He tried to make it look like a robbery. He shot him at about 5am as he was going to work. Nobody saw anything but someone heard one gunshot. Nothing was taken from the man,” he said.

“The accused’s wife told me that he owed the neighbour money but was quick to say she did not think he would kill him. I went to where he was working as a maxi taxi driver and started my investigation,” he said.

During questioning, W/O Munyai noticed a small spot of blood on the suspect’s vehicle.

Results of forensic tests of the blood assisted the detective in securing a conviction.

“All information is important. Give it to the police, even if you think it is useless or you think it might not be true. It may help crack the most complicated case,” said W/O Munyai.

He urged community members to preserve crime scenes as much as possible.

“Even if it is your home, or your family member has been killed, call the police and restrict movement at the scene,” he said.