The prosecutor in the case of the massacre of five Ngcobo policemen has urged the judge not to impose life imprisonment, but instead to sentence the perpetrators to 25 years for each count of murder, with the sentences to run consecutively instead of concurrently.
Addressing Mthatha judge Richard Griffiths on Friday, the prosecutor — whose name is being withheld for security reasons — described the killings as execution style.
Because of the severity of the crimes, the prosecutor argued against concurrent sentences, stating that would be like a “buy-one-get-one-free kind of a sentence”.
“I submit that the sentences run consecutively.”
The prosecutor said imposing a life sentence would automatically result in other sentences being served concurrently.
Instead, she called for 25 years for each murder to ensure they spent more time in jail.
“They did not just kill them, but killed execution style,” she added.
Additionally, the prosecutor requested 10 years for each of the two attempted murder charges, 15 years for each of the nine counts of robbery with aggravating circumstances, 15 years for the unlawful possession of firearms, 15 years for the unlawful possession of ammunition, and five years for the attempted robbery of Capitec Bank.
She suggested that only the possession charges should run concurrently with the firearms offences.
The prosecutor said harsh sentences were necessary to send a strong message that attacks on police officers would not be tolerated.
“It has now become common not only to have people commit crimes in front of police officers, but ... to have police officers attacked and killed,” she said.
She reminded the court that the men had killed five officers, stolen their firearms, attempted to murder two more officers, attacked a police station, stolen a police van and tried to rob a bank.
“They targeted law enforcement officers,” she said.
In May 2024, the four members of the Mancoba Seven Angels Ministries cult — Andani Monco, 35, Kwanele Ndlwana, 27, Siphosomzi Tshefu, 26, and Phumzile Mhlatywa, 52 — were found guilty of the crimes committed in Ngcobo.
Ndlwana and Tshefu were also convicted of robbery with aggravating circumstances for stealing the service pistols of a Butterworth police officer and a Cala policewoman, which were later used in the murders. They were acquitted of conspiracy charges.
On February 21 2018, the men shot dead Constables Sibongiseni Sandlana, 32, Kuhle Mathetha, 27, Zuko Ntsheku, 38, Nkosiphendule Pongco, 32, and Warrant Officer Zuko Mbini, 39.
Two other policemen, Awonke Njobe and Mvelisi Simoyi, were also targeted but survived.
The four men represented themselves throughout the six-year trial, pleading not guilty to all charges, and highlighted their good behaviour during their six years and eight months in custody.
The group had been in custody since February 23 2018, after their arrest at the Mancoba church compound in Khalanyana village.
During a police raid on the compound, seven people, including three Mancoba brothers — Thandazile, 38, Xolisa, 37, and Philile, 33 — were killed in a shoot-out with a police task force.
Co-accused Siphesihle Tatsi, 24, pleaded guilty to all 20 charges in July 2023, and was sentenced to 241 years’ imprisonment, effectively serving 18 years as the sentences were ordered to run concurrently.
A sixth accused, Phuthumile Mancoba, 42, pleaded guilty In December 2018, and was sentenced to a R1,000 fine or six months’ imprisonment for defeating the ends of justice, and a further R10,000 fine or 24 months in prison for possession of an unlicensed firearm.
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