EASTERN CAPE – The Gqeberha High Court gave Sibuso Brendon Mcuwo five (5) life sentences equivalent to 125 years and additional 18 years for charges of police murder, attempted police murder and business robbery on 27 July 2023.
On 21 January 2019, a shop employee was on duty when an unknown presumed customer rang the doorbell indicating that he wanted to buy something from the shop. The employee opened the door and other four unknown individuals budged into the shop as well .They came in and went behind the counter. One of the intruders pointed the employee with a firearm and ordered the employee to go down to the kitchen and to lie down on the floor. All the employees in the building were held on hostage and ordered to open the safe and the culprits took the cash. One of the employees kept in isolation managed to contact the police and the flying squad police responded immediately.
A shootout ensued between the criminals and the Gqeberha Flying Squad police which led to the fatality of four (4 ) of the perpetrators. During the ordeal Constable Dwane Alistar Kemp sustained injuries on his upper body of which he succumbed in hospital. Mcuwo, the 5th culprit managed to escape on foot until his arrest by Gqeberha based Serious Organised Crime Investigation of the Hawks on 27 January 2019, six (6) days after the incident. Mcuwo was remanded in custody ever since his arrest.
The sentencing of Mcuwo goes as follows:
Count 1:Robbery with aggravating circumstances:12 years imprisonment
Count 2:Robbery with aggravating circumstances : 8 years imprisonment
Count 3:Kidnapping:3 years imprisonment
Count 4: Kidnapping:3 years imprisonment
Count 5: kidnapping : 3 years imprisonment
Count 6: Kidnapping : 3 years imprisonment
Count 7: Kidnapping : 3 years imprisonment
Count 8 : Kidnapping : 3 years imprisonment
Count 9 :Murder: Life imprisonment
Count 10 : Murder: Life imprisonment
Count 11:Murder: Life imprisonment
Count 12 :Murder : Life imprisonment
Count 13:Murder: Life imprisonment
Count 14 : Attempted murder :8 years imprisonment
Counts 3,4,5,6,7,8,14 and the 2 years imprisonment of count 2 to run concurrently with life sentences.
Effectively 18 years and 5 life sentences which add up to 143 years were meted out on Mcuwo.
The Provincial Head Major General Mboiki Obed Ngwenya is highly impressed by the decision of the Judiciary system on this matter as the death of a single police official deprives more than 1000 South African citizens access to safety and security services.