Seven Angels killers found guilty of Eastern Cape cop murders

Four congregants of the controversial Mancoba Seven Angels Ministries cult who stormed the Ngcobo police station and killed five police officers were on Friday found guilty of more than 20 charges, six years after the shocking attacks.

Andani Monco, 35, Kwanele Ndlwana, 27, Siphosomzi Tshefu, 26, and Phumzile Mhlatywa, 52, faced 22 charges — including five counts of murder, two of attempted murder, one of conspiracy, seven of robbery with aggravating circumstances, three of unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition, one of possession of a firearm/ammunition with intent to commit an offence, and one of housebreaking relating to the foiled robbery of a Capitec bank.

On February 21 2018, the four shot dead the five Ngcobo police officers and robbed them of firearms.

They were arrested two days later at the Mancoba Church compound in Khalanyana village where seven people — three Mancoba brothers and other church members — were killed during a shoot-out with police.

After the marathon trial, Mthatha high court judge Robert Griffiths on Friday found the four guilty on all the charges, but acquitted them on the conspiracy charge.

Griffiths also found Ndlwana and Tshefu guilty of a robbery where a Butterworth policeman and a Cala policewoman were robbed of their service pistols which were later used in the murders of the Ngcobo police officers.

The four, who represented themselves throughout the six-year trial, pleaded not guilty to all the counts.

However, days after they were arrested in 2018 they gave confessions and pointed out crime scenes, which were accepted as admissible by the court. 

The four were found guilty of the murders of Warrant Officer Zuko Mbini, 45, and constables Zuko Nelson Ntsheku, 38, Nkosiphendule Pongco, 32, Sibongiseni Sandlana, 32, and Kuhle Mateta, 27, and the attempted murder of two other police officers, Mvelisi Simoyi and Awonke Njobe.

The judge postponed the case to September 30 for sentencing.

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