| 2020/09/17 |
Media Statement POTCHEFSTROOM - The Provincial Commissioner of North West, Lieutenant General Sello Kwena welcomed the sentencing of Amukelani Christopher Mboweni (25) and Andrew Chauke (24) to life imprisonment for murder by the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria today. The accused were each sentenced to additional 15 years for car hijacking, five years for unlawful possession of firearm and three years for unlawful possession of ammunition. The sentencing emanates from a murder committed between Saturday, 20 and Sunday, 21 August 2016. It was reported at that time that police were summoned to Dagga road outside Skeerpoort near Hartbeespoortdam where a motionless body of Mamba Richard Nyoko (59) was found in a ditch. Nyoko was certified dead by paramedics. A curriculum vitae of Nyoko’s neighbour which was found on the scene, led the police to his family in Damonsville, outside Brits. Consequently, Nyoko’s Nissan Tiida was tracked and found at Villeria four days after the incident, driven by a 35-year-old male. That after police were alerted and ultimately intercepted the vehicle of which the driver disclosed upon questioning that he bought the vehicle from another man. The latter eventually informed the police that the vehicle was delivered to him by the two accused who at that time resided at Brazzaville near Attredgeville. The accused were afterwards pointed to the police and arrested. It transpired during court proceedings that the accused were hitch-hiking in the Brits Central Business District (CBD) when Nyoko offered them a lift at about 18:00 on Saturday, 20 August 2016. On their way to Skeerpoort, one of the accused pointed Nyoko with a firearm and ordered him to stop the vehicle. The victim was then forced to occupy a passenger seat at the back while one of the accused drove in the direction of Rietfontein. The victim was ultimately shot three times on the head and his body dumped in the ditch. The duo was found guilty of murder, car hijacking, and unlawful possession firearm and ammunition on Thursday, 2 July 2020. The Provincial Commissioner applauded the detectives for leaving no stone unturned in ensuring that justice is served. He further said that the police will pull all strides to ensure that perpetrators of crime languish in jail. Ends
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