Relentless efforts made by our members and investigators in arresting gang affiliates and securing convictions in the Northern areas is proving to be successful.
During the month of July 2017, the Provincial Gang Investigation Unit arrested 35 suspects in 28 cases including murder, attempted murder and illegal of firearm and ammunition. Nine convictions were secured for the month.
On 5 July 2017, life sentences were handed down to two accused, Dewi Delgado and Walton Ambraal for murder and attempted murder on a Gelvandale case which was committed in September 2016.
In another case, Navan Malgas received 13 years imprisonment for attempted murder, illegal possession of a firearm, illegal possession of ammunition and malicious damage to property which was committed in September 2015 in Gelvandale. The 11 accused sentenced in the 9 cases will serve a total of 106 years imprisonment.
The Cluster Commander, Mount Road Cluster, Maj Gen Funeka Siganga has commended the unit for their dedication and thorough investigation of their cases. ‘These sentences are as a result of the integrated partnership between the prosecuting authority and the investigators. In order to have a successful prosecution a docket must be thoroughly investigated and presented for the case to be heard at court. We are aware that most of the criminals in the Northern areas who torment the communities, live within the communities. A further challenge facing the investigators is that often, communities do not even come forward with information when required to do so. In some of these instances, some of these criminals are even idolized for their criminal actions. Therefore, sometimes even though we may not have enough witness statements or even a firearm as an exhibit, through consultation and expert advice from the prosecutors, we emerge the victor in that gangsters are still found guilty and sentenced’ added Gen Siganga.
The Mount Road policing cluster remains committed in ensuring that the people in the Northern areas of Port Elizabeth are and feel safe and that criminals responsible for gang related crimes will be arrested and prosecuted.
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