TRIO CONVICTED FOR ASSASSINATION OF SAPS DETECTIVE IS ZWELITSHA
16 May 2025
TRIO CONVICTED FOR ASSASSINATION OF SAPS DETECTIVE IS ZWELITSHA
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has secured the conviction of three men involved in the calculated assassination of a South African Police Service (SAPS) detective, Warrant Officer Phumlani Dastile (44), who was gunned down in Zwelitsha on 23 August 2021. The High Court of South Africa, Eastern Cape Local Division in Bhisho, found Thando “Flokkie” Mangolwane (25), Siyabonga “Jacks” Zimela (24), and Siphelo “Spikiri” Bebe (29) guilty in connection with the murder. Mangolwane and Zimela were convicted of murder, unlawful possession of a semi-automatic firearm, and unlawful possession of ammunition. Bebe was convicted of murder.
The court accepted the State’s version that the killing was carried out in furtherance of a premeditated plan to eliminate a law enforcement officer who had led the investigation that resulted in Bebe’s previous conviction. Bebe is currently serving three life sentences and an additional 23 years for murder, attempted murder, and armed robbery committed in 2018.
On the fateful day, Warrant Officer Dastile was shot multiple times at close range outside Monde’s Tavern in Zone 4, Zwelitsha. The attack was carried out in public view by armed men acting in concert with Bebe, who orchestrated the murder from prison using an illegal cellphone. The shooters had travelled from Khayelitsha in the Western Cape to the Eastern Cape, specifically to carry out the hit, after being recruited by Bebe through a mutual acquaintance from prison, Kwanga Nojaholo, who later turned State witness under Section 204 of the Criminal Procedure Act.
Evidence presented by the prosecution included cellphone data, surveillance footage, post-mortem findings, and testimony from key witnesses, including the accused’s girlfriends, who corroborated the movements and direct involvement of Mangolwane and Zimela. The evidence showed that the firearms used in the murder were collected from a residence in Zwelitsha and later returned there after the commission of the crime. Communications among the accused before, during, and after the incident painted a clear picture of their roles in the planning and execution of the murder.
Despite their denials, the court found the accused’s versions improbable and inconsistent when weighed against the overwhelming evidence. Cellphone records placed all the accused at the scene, and their movements aligned precisely with the sequence of events described by state witnesses. The evidence further confirmed that Mangolwane was one of the triggermen who fired the fatal shots. The getaway vehicle was driven by Nojaholo.
Director of Public Prosecutions in the Eastern Cape, Mr Barry Madolo, extended his sincere gratitude to Advocate Louis Sinclair, who led the prosecution, as well as the investigating team. He stated that the murder of a police officer is not only an attack on an individual but an affront to the entire criminal justice system.
The matter has been remanded to 13 - 15 August 2025 for argument in aggravation and mitigation of sentence.
Issued by:
Luxolo Tyali
NPA Regional Spokesperson
Eastern Cape Division
Tel: 047 501 2630
Email: ltyali@npa.gov.za
Cell: 073 555 9292
Enquiries: nmakupula@npa.gov.za / 0682682473