Three of Macassar police’s investigating officers are making arrests and making sure cases have enough information and evidence to ensure successful convictions.
Sergeant Norman Ngonelo, Warrant Officer Cobus Greeff and Constable Eric Mboniswa have had various successes this past year, in 2021 and 2020.
Captain Andries Geldenhuys, Macassar police chief detective, said his investigating officers have to deal with more than 200 cases a month, and they all work really hard.
Here are some of the cases Ngonelo, Greef and Mboniswa have solved:. The first big arrest Greeff and Mboniswa were part of was a business robbery that took place on Sunday 3 April at a liquor store in Macassar. In all, R40 000 worth of alcohol was stolen in April by 34-year-old Justice Ncwana, who was arrested on Thursday 18 August. He had a long list of convictions that included a murder in 2006 in Gordon’s Bay, for which he was sentenced to 18 years, and a more recent robbery at a liquor store in Mfuleni, for which he has made his first court appearance. . A 35-year-old woman was sentenced to 13 years’ imprisonment for fatally stabbing another in the chest during an argument. The incident took place in Macassar on and claimed Shanika Philander (28), who died on the scene on Thursday 8 April 2021. The murder accused, Whitney Booysen pleaded guilty and was sentenced on Monday 27 June earlier this year. She was also declared unfit to possess a firearm. . On Monday 26 July 2021, at 18:00, 21-year-old Paxton Lewis stabbed a man in the neck in Fah Street, Macassar. Ngonelo, who worked on the case, said the deceased was walking with a friend when he passed a group of males who were part of the Junior Cisco Yankees (JCY) gang. Lewis was ordered to stab the victim, who died shortly afterwards. Following a long search for the suspect who fled the scene and hid from the police, Lewis was arrested and appeared in the Somerset West Magistrates’ Court, where he was sentenced on Monday 25 July. According to Macassar police, the matter went to trial and the suspect pleaded immediately, because the investigation and evidence against him were so strong. Lewis was sentenced to 15 years and declared unfit to possess a firearm. . On Saturday 15 February 2020, an argument broke out between Fernando Mpondo (victim) and Riaan Daniels (suspect) when the victim apparently revved his car too much. The incident took place in Joe Slovo Street, Macassar Village. According to Ngonelo the suspect, Daniels, walked away from the argument and returned with a knife, and as Mpondo turned around he was stabbed just above the heart. On 3 May Daniels was sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment.
Ngonelo thanked the courts and its officials on behalf of the detective teams. “We catch the suspects, but the courts and the public prosecutors help put these criminals behind bars,” he pointed out. “It is a team effort, and without them our work will mean nothing.”
