The Provincial Commissioner of North West, Lieutenant General Baile Motswenyane welcomed lengthy jail terms handed down by the Gauteng High Court to Simphiwe Silwane (37) and Samkelo Mkhutswa for murder and attempted murder cases that occurred around Marikana and Mooinooi near Rustenburg in 2017.
The court heard that Malibongwe Mdaso (38) in September 2017 who was one of Association of Mineworkers and Construction Workers Union (AMCU) official at the time, was shot multiple times while leaving a stadium after attending a soccer match in Mooinooi, but survived.
A month later, an AMCU shop steward Mr Msidiseni Kwenene survived a hail of bullets while on his way to work. It was reported at the time of the incident that Kwenene managed to notice the suspects before they started shooting at him. He was only shot once on the leg and managed to escape the attack.
In few days later after Mr Kwenene’s attempted murder, Mveliso Biyela who was with his wife and son at the time was shot dead while returning from visiting a friend at a nearby hostel. It was established during the investigation that the firearm that was used in the attempted murder of Mr Mdaso was the same one that took the life of Biyela.
Silwane was found guilty on two counts of attempted murder and sentenced to 25 years imprisonment each. He was also sentenced to life imprisonment for murder and 15 years for possession of a firearm without a license. The accused also got five years for unlawful possession of ammunition.
Mkhutswa was sentenced to 25 years for attempted murder and 15 years imprisonment for possession of a firearm without a license. He was also given five years imprisonment for unlawful possession of ammunition.
The Provincial Commissioner hailed the hard work of the investigating officer Captain Montsho and the entire team’s effort that resulted in the conviction. She said that the sentences will definitely send a clear message that criminals have no space in society.
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