After Five Years – But Media Statement Raises Eyebrows Over Date Error
CCN Report Team
Atlantis:- After nearly five years of legal proceedings, justice was finally served in the high-profile murder case that rocked Sherwood Park in 2020.
The Atlantis Magistrate’s Court on Friday, 16 May 2025, handed down sentences to two individuals convicted in the shooting of a 36-year-old man near Dellville Court.
Medwin Johnson, 27, received a life sentence for murder and an additional five years for attempted murder. Wahile Leathan Cleophas, who was only 14 years old at the time of the crime, was sentenced to ten years for murder and five years for attempted murder. Both were transported to Malmesbury Prison following the sentencing.
The case, which was thoroughly investigated by Detective Sergeant Jerome Pietersen, drew praise from Atlantis Station Commander Colonel Mario Thyse. The commander commended the investigative and forensic work that led to the convictions after multiple court appearances and bail denials since the arrests in 2020.
However, a factual error in the official South African Police Service (SAPS) media statement, dated 19 May 2025, has raised concerns among legal observers and community members. The statement claims that sentencing occurred on “Friday, 17th May 2025” – a date that actually fell on a Saturday this year.
For a case so long delayed and sensitive to the victim’s family, such an error, though seemingly small, raises questions about attention to detail in official documentation. “It might seem trivial, but if authorities can get something like a date wrong, it undermines public trust,” said a local activist familiar with court procedures.
The murder took place on 24 April 2020 at approximately 20:55. According to police, the victim was ambushed and shot by the two accused near Dellville Court, a crime that shocked the Atlantis community and sparked an intensive investigation.
Cleophas, though a juvenile at the time of the murder, reportedly committed another killing while awaiting trial — a factor that prosecutors cited to argue against leniency.
While the sentencing brings some relief to the victim’s family, the road to justice has been long and painful. “We waited almost five years for this day,” a family member stated outside the courtroom. “At least now, we can begin to heal.”
Despite the closure, the incident has reignited calls for faster processing of criminal cases and greater support for victims’ families.
