KNYSNA NEWS - Two men were recently handed hefty sentences in the Knysna Magistrate's Court for two separate murders in Knysna and Sedgefield, with both cases coming to an end after some six years in the legal system.
Eden Cluster Commander, Major-General Oswald Reddy, applauded the investigation and prosecution team who secured the lengthy prison sentences for the murderers. The first of the two to be sentenced was Ayanda Mchitheka (25) who will be behind bars for 20 years.
He appeared in court on 13 July and was found guilty on charges of murder and possession of an unlicenced firearm, receiving a sentence of 15 years imprisonment for the former and a further five for the latter.
According to Southern Cape police spokesperson Sergeant Christopher Spies, his conviction and subsequent sentencing relate to the death of Donovan Bond (19) who was shot in Luthango Street, Sedgefield on 3 February 2015.
"Members attached to Knysna police were dispatched to the scene where they found the 19-year-old victim with a gunshot wound to his head. He was declared dead by medical personnel on the scene. A combined effort by various units of the police led to the arrest of the suspect later the same day," Spies said.
Information about the whereabouts of the suspect was received from the public. "The team reacted to the information and pounced on a house in Fynboslaan, Smutsville. The man noticed the police and fled on foot," Spies explained.
He was caught and searched, and a handgun and ammunition were found in his possession. He was arrested and positively linked to the murder.
The other conviction was Themba Mtshotshi (30), also relating to an incident that occurred in 2015. "Police responded to a stabbing incident at Oupad on 6 September 2015 at about 04:00," Spies said.
"On arrival the police found a man with a stab wound to the chest. He was declared dead by paramedics on the scene. The deceased was later identified as Sydwell Mbali (26)." Mtshotshi was arrested after he was positively linked to the incident.
He was found guilty after a lengthy trial and sentenced to 12 years imprisonment on 20 July.
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