Cop killers found guilty

Four men were found guilty of serious crimes by the Mthatha High Court on Wednesday, including the murder of a police officer during a robbery at a Transkei police station three years ago, reports Bongani Hans.

Luyanda Daniso, 29, Sanele Gcolotela, 19, Ncedo Wopela, 23, and Siyabulela Njenge, 22, were all found guilty of a number of crimes, which they committed in April 2006.

The charges against them included the murders of police officer Sergeant Mzuvukile Siwahla, East London truck driver Sifiso Fezile and security guard Bidekile Fanele during a robbery at Mqanduli Police Station.

Fanele had been at the station to report a matter to police and Fezile and a companion had stopped there to rest after travelling from East London to Mqanduli.

The four convicts were part of a group of seven who had robbed the police station of firearms including four R5 rifles, a shotgun, a 9mm pistol, two bulletproof vests and ammunition.

Njenge was arrested at an informal settlement in Mthatha on the day of the incident.

The following day police arrested Wopela in Lindile village of Mthatha and Gcolotela was arrested on the third day, also in Mthatha.

About two weeks later police tracked down Daniso, who then told authorities where another suspect was hiding.

The three other suspects involved in the Mqanduli incident were killed.

Two suspects were killed during a shootout with police near Tsolo and another was shot and killed when he tried to escape from police custody at the Mthatha Magistrate’s Court last December.

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