Cape Town:- The High Court of South Africa: Western Cape Division has sentenced gang members Eben Basson and Chivargo Fredericks to an effective 35 years’ direct imprisonment for the murder of 7-year-old Emaan Solomons and other serious charges.
Although the prescribed minimum sentence for murder is life imprisonment, the court deviated after considering that the two were first-time offenders and had already spent five years in custody awaiting trial. On 11 February 2025, both were convicted of murder, four counts of attempted murder, illegal possession of a firearm, and illegal possession of ammunition.
Senior State Advocate John Ryneveld urged the court to impose life sentences for the murder, along with lengthy direct imprisonment for the attempted murders of Anees Davis, Marco Simon, Michael Daniels, and Oscar Daniels, as well as the firearm and ammunition charges.
Judge Gayaat Da Silva Salie sentenced them to 22 years for the murder, 5 years each for the four counts of attempted murder (to run concurrently), and 8 years for the weapons charges.
The court heard that on the afternoon of 25 February 2020, Emaan and her friends were playing after a school game in Libra Road, Ocean View. Nearby adults were sitting in a parked car enjoying the sunny day when gunshots suddenly rang out. The children and adults scattered in panic. Emaan made it into her yard but collapsed in the front garden. Her mother found her with a gunshot wound to her back, which exited through her chest, and another wound on her left hand. She was rushed to hospital but pronounced dead on arrival.
The court found that Basson and Fredericks were targeting Anees Davis, a rival Taylor Gang (TG) member, when the shooting occurred. The two gangs, JFKs and TGs, are known for ongoing turf wars over the local drug trade in Ocean View. Fredericks was arrested that same evening and Basson the next morning. Davis was also arrested but later released due to insufficient evidence.
Investigating officer Sergeant Mentjies from the Anti-Gang Unit recovered the firearm used in the crime at 65 Alpha Way, Ocean View — a known JFK gang house used to store weapons.
In her judgment, Judge Salie strongly condemned gang-related violence, calling it “domestic terrorism in its most destructive form,” tearing families apart and robbing communities of peace and hope.
Western Cape Director of Public Prosecutions, Advocate Nicolette Bell, welcomed the sentence and stressed the value of human life. “The NPA will continue to vigorously pursue justice in such cases to deter would-be criminals and protect our communities,” she said.
Issued by: Eric Ntabazalila Regional Communications Manager – Western Cape
National Prosecuting Authority
