Cape Town murderers sentenced to life for brutal robbery spree
Eric Ntabazalila, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson in the Western Cape.
Image: Armand Hough / Independent Newspapers
In a chilling 24-hour crime spree, Cebo Soboyise and Zola Golela were sentenced to life in prison for the brutal murders of two brothers and an off-duty police officer in Delft.
The duo were convicted following a 24-hour robbery and killing spree, which included the brutal murders of two brothers in the presence of their father, and the robbery and murder of an off-duty police officer in Delft.
National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila confirmed that the sentences were handed down by the Western Cape Division of the High Court on April 30.
Soboyise and Golela were convicted on four counts of robbery with aggravating circumstances, three counts of murder, and a count of illegal possession of a firearm.
The court sentenced the accused to three life sentences each for the three counts of murder, 60 years' direct imprisonment each for the four counts of robbery with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, and 15 years' direct imprisonment for the illegal possession of a firearm.
The court also declared both accused unfit to possess a firearm and ordered that the Registrar of Firearms be notified of this order.
During the trial, the accused pleaded not guilty to all the charges preferred against them, arguing they were not present at the crime scenes, as they were engaged in other activities.
“This resulted in a protracted six-year trial that was marred by delays, which included the delivery of the sentence judgment last week, which had to be postponed because one of the accused did not come out of the prison cell at Pollsmoor Prison. Despite these challenges, State Advocate Darren Rudolph of the NPA’s Organised Crime Component managed to piece together a successful prosecution based on circumstantial evidence backed by 18 witnesses, ballistic reports, gunshot residue reports, cellphone‑tower data, distinctive clothing identification reports, recovery of stolen items, and the circumstances surrounding the arrest of the accused,” said Ntabazalila.
The witnesses testified that on the afternoon of November 26, 2019, one of the two accused entered the Shoprite Liquor Store in Makhaza, Khayelitsha, and requested a cash back of R100 from two cashiers.
“He left, and two accused returned armed with firearms, and one forced a security guard to lie face down, while the other went to rob the two cashiers of their till drawers with an undisclosed amount of cash. The victims were unable to identify the accused. CCTV footage was downloaded from the shopping mall cameras and handed over to the police.
“Later that evening, the State proved that three men robbed Idahoff Superette in Voortrekker Road, Bellville, of cash, cellphones, and cigarettes. They also robbed a customer of his iPhone, which was tracked and later led to the arrests of the accused,” said Ntabazalila.
The accused were, however, acquitted on the counts of robbery with aggravating circumstances at the Bellville shop after a successful application for a discharge in terms of Section 174 of the Criminal Procedure Act.
As the court heard about their continued reign of terror, the State detailed how Sandiswa Zwakala and his two sons, Siyabonga and Siyanda, were in their rooms preparing to sleep at their Delft home, when Siyanda went outside to smoke.
“The father and Siyabonga heard Siyanda screaming and then gunshots. They both rushed out and found one of the accused standing in the lounge with a firearm in his hand. Siyabonga shouted at him to get out of the house. Siyabonga was shot as he rushed to close the burglar door. He rushed to his room and died in his father’s arms. The father later found Siyanda’s lifeless body on the couch in the lounge.
“A few minutes after that incident, the accused and another unknown man robbed a police officer, Thanduxolo Wiseman Stuma, of his cellphone and fatally shot him as he walked home in Thubelitsha, Delft,” said Ntabazalila.
The accused were arrested in Mfuleni in November 2019, after they were traced via the iPhone they stole following an alleged robbery at the shop in Bellville. They were found with firearms, cellphones, and cigarettes.
During the trial, they denied being involved in the spate of robberies and the murder of the police officer.
Western Cape Director of Public Prosecutions, Advocate Nicolette Bell, welcomed the tireless efforts of the investigation and prosecution team in ensuring justice for the victims of the crimes, even though it was delayed due to situations beyond the control of the teams.