High Court finds five accused guilty of murder and kidnapping
Judge Ishmael sentenced John Maseko (60), Mandla Mzolo (57), Mandla Cele (57), Samuel Mathebula (47) and Paul Moropana to each to an effective 12 years' imprisonment.
The Johannesburg High Court found five community patrollers guilty of the kidnapping and murder of Sabelo Ntshingila (26) from Emoyeni Section, Thembisa on August 1.
Judge Ishmael sentenced John Maseko (60), Mandla Mzolo (57), Mandla Cele (57), Samuel Mathebula (47) and Paul Moropana to each to an effective 12 years’ imprisonment.
All five were also declared unfit to possess a firearm.
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The sentence follows a marathon of court appearances and testimonies from witnesses and a combined effort from the crime office detectives and the investigation officer Warrant Officer Malesela Moloantoa.
On May 6, Moloantoa was assigned a docket of murder and kidnapping.
Being an expert in this field, Moloantoa collected all necessary evidence from the witnesses and forensics, sure he had a prima facie case.
According to information in the court dockets, Ntshingila was taken to a park in Ilidinga Section, where he was tortured.
When the five accused noticed the police van, they hid the victim and misled the police by telling the officers everything was fine.
After the police left the area, the assault on Ntshingila continued and the five men left him there, helpless, until passers-by found him and alerted the police. Paramedics declared Ntshingila dead.
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Tembisa SAPS station commander Brigadier Cyril Nkuna applauded Moloantoa for bringing hope to the family of Ntshingila.
Nkuna further denounced acts of vigilantism around Thembisa.
“I have been conducting sector imbizos with the visible policing commander, Colonel Percy Selematsela around Thembisa policing precinct, addressing these acts of vigilantism and further calling all unregistered patrollers to join the proper Community Policing Forum (CPF) to be guided and act within the laws of this country.
“This sentence should be an eye opener to those who are still practising vigilantism; that no one is above the law and taking the law into your hands is a criminal and punishable offence, even if a person is an addict because everyone is equal in the eyes of the law.”
