NPA WELCOMES LIFE SENTENCE FOR GANG MEMBER CONVICTED OF TWO MURDERS

GEORGE – The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) welcomes the effective life sentence imposed on Tshepo Ditaba for the premeditated murders of Marcelino January and Reginald Stalmeester.

On 19 August 2026, the George Regional Court convicted Ditaba on two counts of premeditated murder. Each offence carries a prescribed sentence of life imprisonment under Part I of Schedule 2 to the Criminal Law Amendment Act 105 of 1997.

The State, represented by prosecutor Samantha Hendricks, argued that Ditaba and his co-accused, Edwin Jacobs and Shaun Claasen, had set out to find January and Stalmeester and killed them in separate incidents on the same day.

Warrant Officer Geldenhuys, the investigating officer, testified that the victims were targeted because Ditaba believed that one of their friends had robbed someone close to him. The allegation could not be verified, and no case had been opened in connection with it.

The court heard that on 13 July 2024, the three accused went to January’s shack looking for him. January tried to hide under a bed but was shot twice and killed. His girlfriend, who was inside the shack, escaped unharmed.

The accused then left January’s body under the bed and went to Stalmeester’s home. Stalmeester ran into the bathroom and initially refused to come out. Claasen persuaded him that he would not be harmed. When Stalmeester came outside, Ditaba shot him at close range.

In aggravation of sentence, Hendricks argued that the murders were acts of revenge linked to an earlier incident involving the victims’ friends and people close to Ditaba. She submitted that the accused had actively searched for the victims and killed them shortly after one another, demonstrating planning and premeditation. She also noted that the firearm used in the murders had not been recovered and could still pose a danger to the community.

Hendricks further submitted that Ditaba had shown no genuine remorse. His guilty plea, she argued, was not an indication of remorse, given the strength of the evidence against him. He had not fully explained his motivation or why he believed the victims should pay with their lives. The court also heard that Ditaba had been involved in gang-related crime from the age of 15 and held a high rank in the 27s prison gang.

The State argued that communities affected by violent crime look to the courts for protection, and that inadequate sentences may contribute to vigilantism and undermine the constitutional order.

In sentencing Ditaba, the court said the accused had been on a mission to kill. It found no substantial and compelling circumstances to depart from the prescribed minimum sentences and described the crimes as callous and calculated. Under Section 280(2) of the Criminal Procedure Act, the court ordered the two life sentences to run concurrently, resulting in an effective sentence of life imprisonment.

The trials of Ditaba’s co-accused, Jacobs and Claasen, have been separated and will proceed on a date to be determined.

The NPA remains committed to working with its criminal justice partners to combat gangsterism and its devastating impact on communities.

Issued by:

Eric Ntabazalila

NPA Regional Spokesperson: Western Cape Division