Cape Town - A gunman who ambushed and killed a police officer during the national lockdown in Nyanga has been sentenced to life in prison for the attack which also left two other officers wounded.
Just over four years after the shooting, which claimed the life of Constable Asanda Siyoko, 30, the Western Cape High Court has handed down a 51-year cumulative sentence to Aviwe Ndwanyana.
At the time of the murder, police revealed Siyoko and two colleagues were attack while inspecting a spaza shop trading after the curfew in Nyanga.
The trio were patrolling along Old Klipfontein Road and Moya Street in Old Crossroads, when they noticed the spaza shop, called “Nqwathi Cash Store”, was still open after 10.30pm.
At the time, level 3 lockdown regulations stipulated that stores were only allowed to trade until 6pm.
As the officers went inside the shop, a gunman came from behind and opened fire.
Siyoko was shot in the neck and later died at the Mitchells Plain District Hospital.
Police spokesperson Vish Naidoo said at the time: “They went in to investigate in terms of the disaster management regulations when a man emerged from behind them and started shooting at the members. The constable was seriously wounded and later passed on.”
Hawks spokesperson Siyabulela Vukubi said a team comprising the Hawks, Nyanga SAPS members and Crime Intelligence launched a manhunt. Ndwanyana was arrested on June 8, 2020, and was remanded in custody until his sentence.
He was found guilty on June 18 and returned to court this week where he was sentenced to life in prison for murder, 15 years for attempted robbery, five years for the possession of a firearm, five years for the possession of ammunition and 18 months for the pointing of a firearm.
The court ordered that the sentences should run concurrently.
The Western Cape provincial head of the Hawks, Mathipa Makgato, has welcomed the sentencing of Ndwanyana.
The secretary of the provincial Community Policing Forum (CPF) board and outgoing chair of the Nyanga CPF, Martin Makasi, said they were partially happy with the outcome, but believed police killers should be charged with terrorism.
“We are partially happy with the outcome but we are unhappy that the sentences will run concurrently. Anyone who has killed a law enforcement officer has basically declared war on the state and we would be happy if he sits for all 51 years.
“We want capital punishment for people who attack police because these officers are protecting the community, but who is protecting them? This should be considered a crime against the state and they should be charged with terrorism,” Makasi said.