TRIO SENTENCED TO LIFE FOR KILLING SAPS DETECTIVE WHO ENSURED THEIR MASTERMIND’S CONVICTION
15 August 2025
TRIO SENTENCED TO LIFE FOR KILLING SAPS DETECTIVE WHO ENSURED THEIR MASTERMIND’S CONVICTION
Bhisho, Eastern Cape – The High Court of South Africa, Eastern Cape Local Division in Bhisho, has sentenced three men to life imprisonment for the calculated assassination of South African Police Service (SAPS) detective, Warrant Officer Phumlani Dastile (44), who was murdered in Zwelitsha on 23 August 2021. The accused – Thando “Flokkie” Mangolwane (25), Siyabonga “Jacks” Zimela (24), and Siphelo “Spikiri” Bebe (29) – killed Warrant Officer Dastile in revenge for the conviction of Bebe, the mastermind, who was already serving multiple life sentences for violent crimes committed in 2018.
From prison, Bebe orchestrated the hit using an illegal cellphone. He recruited Mangolwane and Zimela through a mutual acquaintance, Kwanga Nojaholo, who later turned State witness under Section 204 of the Criminal Procedure Act. The pair travelled from Khayelitsha in the Western Cape to carry out the murder. On the day of the crime, Warrant Officer Dastile was ambushed and shot multiple times at close range outside Monde’s Tavern in Zone 4, Zwelitsha, in broad daylight. Evidence led by the prosecution included cellphone data, surveillance footage, post-mortem results, and testimony from key witnesses, including the accused’s girlfriends, which confirmed their movements and roles.
The court found the accused’s denials to be inconsistent and improbable against the weight of the evidence. Cellphone records placed them at the crime scene, while communications confirmed their planning and execution roles. Mangolwane was identified as one of the triggermen, while Nojaholo drove the getaway vehicle.
In aggravation of sentence, Advocate Louis Sinclair argued: “This was a senseless killing of a police officer simply carrying out his duty. It was a direct assault on the Rule of Law. In crimes of this gravity, the personal circumstances of the accused must take a backseat. Minimum sentences must apply, or else our country risks descending into lawlessness. “In addition to the life sentences, Mangolwane and Zimela each received 15 years’ imprisonment for unlawful possession of a semi-automatic firearm and three years for possession of ammunition. These will run concurrently with the life terms.
The Director of Public Prosecutions in the Eastern Cape, Mr Barry Madolo, praised the prosecution and investigation teams: “The murder of a police officer is not only an attack on an individual but on the justice system itself. This sentence reaffirms our commitment to upholding the rule of law and ensuring that those who harm law enforcement officers face the full might of justice.”
Issued by:
Luxolo Tyali
NPA Regional Spokesperson
Eastern Cape Division
Tel: 047 501 2630
Email: ltyali@npa.gov.za
Cell: 073 555 9292
Enquiries: Nokuthula Makupula
Email: nmakupula@npa.gov.za