Justice was eventually served nearly six years following the killing of an elderly woman, Denise Webber (78) at her home in Needham Street, Kunene Park on August 20, 2015.
The four accused, Fikile Mengo, Mkuseli Ngqanda, Thanduxolo Vumazonke and Sinethemba Nenembe were sentenced in the Gqeberha High Court yesterday, April 28.
Mengo and Vumazonke were handed down an effective 25 years in prison for murder and aggravated robbery, while Ngqanda and Nenembe received life imprisonment for murder and 15 years for aggravated robbery. The aggravated robbery sentence will run concurrent with the life sentence.
According to police spokesperson Colonel Priscilla Naidu, during the morning August 20, 2015, the domestic worker (37) was overpowered by three men, one of which she recognised, taken inside the house and her hands bound. Webber, who lived in the granny flat on the premises was strangled to death and both the main house, and the flat were ransacked, and household items and jewellery taken.
“Following the murder and robbery, Mengo was on the run and due to the persistence of the investigating officers, D/Sergeants Dudley Ferreira and Aldre Koen of SAPS Kabega Park, Mengo’s grandmother brought him to the police station on August 28, 2015. The remaining three accused were arrested days later. They all remained in custody until the finalisation of the case,” Naidu explained.
She said that most of the stolen property were recovered in the accused homes in New Brighton and Kwazakele, adding that three of the four accused were currently serving sentences for previous crimes.
Nenembe is also serving a life sentence for the murder of teacher, Jayde Panayiotou committed in April 2015.
