Five community patrollers from the Ramaphosa Informal Settlement have been sentenced to an effective 45 years imprisonment each for the murder of a 29-year-old man and related crimes.
The case dates back to 16 November 2023, when at approximately 06:00, police received a telephonic complaint regarding a murder in the settlement. Upon arrival, community members pointed officers to the lifeless body of an African male, aged 29. The victim had sustained multiple head injuries as well as bruises on his legs and arms. A preliminary investigation at the scene revealed that the deceased had been killed by patrollers known within the community.
The investigation progressed when, during a new shift patrol on 17 November 2023 at around 01:00, police were approached by an unidentified African male. He reported that he had opened a case of assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm (GBH) and claimed to know the suspects, who were also community patrollers.
Police acted immediately, visiting multiple addresses where the complainant identified four suspects. Those four were arrested on the scene. A fifth suspect was later apprehended on 23 November 2023. All five individuals were subsequently linked to the murder that occurred on 16 November.
The successful prosecution was attributed to the diligent work of Detective Sergeant Alice Mabunda. Her investigation ensured all suspects were found guilty and convicted.
The Boksburg Magistrates’ Court imposed the following sentences on each of the five accused:
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Murder: 25 years imprisonment
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Assault GBH: 10 years imprisonment
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Kidnapping: 10 years imprisonment
The court ordered the sentences to run concurrently, resulting in an effective 25-year prison term for each accused.