Cape Town cop-killers convicted

Three tik addicts who killed a police officer and stole his gun during an orgy of crime have been convicted.

The High Court in Cape Town found Xolani Ndesi‚ Jackson Mhobo and Athenkosi Mduli guilty of murdering Constable Mziwonke Siwisa. They were also convicted of a slew of other charges including robbery and possession of unlicensed firearms and ammunition.

According to the judgment‚ the Kraaifontein men attempted to steal a vehicle in the neighbourhood in December 2016 but failed. They were successful the second time and drove around until they ran out of petrol‚ abandoned the car and continued on foot.

At 5am they met Siwisa‚ who was on his way to work at Cape Town Sea Border Policing‚ and shot him in the back.

“It is common cause between the state and [Ndesi and Mhobo] that the three accused dropped out of school and are unemployed‚” the judgment reads. “They use tik‚ a drug‚ and make a living and provide for their addiction to the drug by committing crime‚ mostly theft and robbery around their neighbourhood of Kraaifontein. The deceased was shot… on his upper body and died as a result of the wound sustained from that shot. The bullet wound entered from the back and exited through his chest.”

Acting Judge Daniel Thulare said the trio ran away from the scene‚ got a lift from a man they knew and tried to sell him Siwisa’s firearm. The motorist called his nephew‚ who was a policeman‚ to confirm that a fellow officer had been killed.

“After the fatal shot and robbery [Ndesi and Mhobo] ran away from the scene together with [Mdluli] to avoid detection‚” Thulare said."

“The state proved beyond reasonable doubt that the three accused acted in common purpose in the murder of the deceased.”

Eric Ntabazalila‚ spokesman for the prosecution in the Western Cape‚ welcomed the judgment.

“Considering the crime the accused committed‚ the NPA is satisfied with the conviction of the three men. This is a first step towards a successful prosecution and sentencing‚” Ntabazalila said.

“An attack on a police officer is an attack on the people of Wallacedene‚ the Kraaifontein community in general and the people of South Africa. Such people deserve to be punished and given sentences that will send out a very clear message that crime does not pay and will not be tolerated.”

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