Two separate criminal cases were successfully concluded in the North West, with one man sentenced for vehicle theft in Rustenburg and another receiving two life sentences and an additional 70 years for a deadly tavern shooting in Kanana.
The Rustenburg Magistrates’ Court sentenced 38-year-old Bongani Mathebula to five years in prison, with two years suspended for five years, after he was found guilty of possessing a stolen vehicle. The arrest was made thanks to swift action from constable Hailly Muchanga of the Rustenburg Vehicle Crime Investigating Unit (VCIU).
A tracking signal led officers to a silver GWM on a property in Dawes Street, Rustenburg East. The car had been hijacked earlier in Marikana. During the search, the car key was found in Mathebula’s house, linking him directly to the crime.
In a far more chilling case, Mokhosi Mopheme Manama (34), a Lesotho national, was sentenced by the Stilfontein Regional Court, to two life sentences and 70 additional years. His crimes included double murder, six counts of attempted murder, and illegal possession of a firearm.
The court heard how Manama was allegedly hired to kill a man he located at a Kanana tavern near midnight on 4 September 2022.
He shot his target eight times, but the man miraculously survived. In a horrifying turn, Manama opened fire on a group of patrons seated outside the tavern, killing Siyabonga Sikothi (22) and Lebohang Christoffer Mashei (24) and injuring five more people aged between 21 and 37.
The investigation, led by the Anti-Gang Unit, culminated a year later when Manama was tracked to Orkney. Using his personal vehicle, a dedicated officer followed Manama and coordinated with local police to arrest him.
His identity as the shooter was confirmed by eyewitnesses. Due to the serious nature of the crimes, his bail was opposed by Sgt Boeti Matlhoko and State Prosecutor Chris Kok.
Both the acting provincial police commissioner, major general Patrick Asaneng, and the director of Public Prosecution, Dr Rachel Makhari, welcomed the sentences.
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Updated: 05 May 2025 Monday
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