IN ZWELITSHA
Bhisho:- Ina landmark judgment delivered this week, in the High Court of South Africa, Eastern Cape.
Local Division, has found three men guilty of the premeditated assassination of Warrant Officer Phumlani Dastile (44), a serving detective with the South African Police Service (SAPS). Detective Dastile was gunned down outside Monde’s Tavern in Zone 4, Zwelitsha, on 23 August 2021.
Convictions and Charges
- Thando “Flokkie” Mangolwane (25) and Siyabonga “Jacks” Zimela (24) were each convicted of:
- Murder
- Unlawful possession of a semi-automatic firearm
- Unlawful possession of ammunition
- Siphelo “Spikiri” Bebe (29) was convicted of murder.
Mangolwane and Zimela face additional charges relating to firearms and ammunition, while Bebe, already serving three life sentences plus 23 years for a 2018 murder, attempted murder and armed robbery, was held responsible for orchestrating the hit from behind bars.
A Calculated Plot
The court accepted the State’s evidence that Bebe, seeking revenge after Detective Dastile led the investigation that landed him in prison, recruited Mangolwane and Zimela via a mutual acquaintance, Kwanga Nojaholo. Nojaholo later turned State witness under Section 204 of the Criminal Procedure Act and is accused of driving the getaway vehicle.
Cell-phone data, surveillance video, post-mortem findings, and testimony from key witnesses – including the accused’s own girlfriends – tied the trio inexorably to the scene. The firearms were collected from, and returned to, a Zwelitsha residence on the day of the killing. Mobile-phone communications before, during and after the attack corroborated their roles, with Mangolwane identified as one of the triggermen who fired the fatal shots.
Justice for a Fallen Officer
Director of Public Prosecutions in the Eastern Cape, Mr Barry Madolo, praised lead prosecutor Advocate Louis Sinclair and the entire investigative team. “The cold-blooded murder of a police officer strikes at the heart of our criminal-justice system,” Madolo said. “This conviction sends a clear message: those who target law-enforcement officers will face the full might of the law.”
Next Steps
Arguments in aggravation and mitigation of sentence have been set down for 13–15 August 2025, when the court will determine the appropriate punishments for Mangolwane, Zimela and Bebe.
Issued by Luxolo Tyali, NPA Regional Spokesperson, Eastern Cape Division