Western Cape Provincial Commissioner praises team on life sentences imposed in Still Bay farm murder

WESTERN CAPE – Western Cape Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant General Thembisile Patekile, had nothing but praise for the detection and prosecution team who ensured that four men were sentenced to life imprisonment for the death of Heila Killian (62) during an attack on a farm at Still Bay. The foursome were sentenced at the Circuit High Court in George on Friday, 22 April 2022.

Investigation into the attack revealed that the owner of Gezania Nursery and three friends enjoyed themselves at a braai in the garden situated in the back of the house on 16 April 2018 at about 22:00, when they were accosted by five armed suspects, dressed in orange overalls and faces covered with balaclavas. One of the suspects randomly shot at the victims when the deceased, Heila Killian who later succumbed to her injuries, was hit. The assailants overpowered the other two victims (men) and handcuffed them. They ransacked the house and forced a safe open where they took an undisclosed amount of cash, a collection of firearms including a shotgun, two rifles and a handgun as well as a collection of hunting knives before they fled with the owner’s white Toyota Hilux bakkie.

One of the victims (the second woman) managed to escape and alerted the police.

Later the same year, police recovered the vehicle during an operation in the Cape Metropole which subsequently led to the arrest of one suspect. Intensive investigation by investigators attached to the Western Cape Anti-Gang Unit led to the arrest of four more suspects during February 2019.

The five accused faced charges of murder, robbery with aggravated circumstances and possession of unlicensed firearm. Four of the accused, Sakhumzi Benya(32), Nomwabisi Maki (26), Nkosithethu Nocuza (28) and Msomi Nikani (28), were convicted and sentenced as follow:

Charge 1 : Murder – Life imprisonment

Charge 2 : Robbery aggravated – additional 15 years imprisonment

Charge 3 : Robbery aggravated – additional 15 years imprisonment

Charge 4 : Robbery aggravated – additional 15 years imprisonment

Charge 5 : Possession of firearm without a license additional 6 years imprisonment

Lt Gen Patekile said, “These convictions and lengthy incarcerations of those who threatened the safety of society, should serve as a deterrent to would-be perpetrators. They will face the full might of the law once arrested. Society is much safer with them incarcerated,” he concluded.

Source: South African Police Service