Two men charged with a string of offences including the brutal murder of three elderly Port Elizabeth residents in the space of two days pleaded guilty in the Port Elizabeth High Court on Tuesday.
Mbuyisela Pikoli, 37, and his co-accused Vuyani Sifunda, 21, pleaded guilty to the murders of Tyrone Winston Jantjies, 52, Kenneth John Alexander, 76, and his partner Elaine Allwright, 78, as well as the attempted murder of Thembalethu Ndiyane, 23.
Both men further pleaded guilty to one count of housebreaking with the intent to rob and two counts of robbery with aggravating circumstances.
After entering their guilty pleas, Pikoli asked judge Nyameko Gqamana to finalise the matter by passing down sentence immediately.
“I would appreciate it if the court could finalise the matter now. I would accept any sentence imposed by the court,” Pikoli said.
He said he had pleaded guilty freely and willingly because the matter had been going on for a long time.
Gqamana said it was not legally possible for Pikoli to be sentenced on Tuesday as pre-sentencing reports first had to be compiled.
In his plea explanation, Pikoli admitted that on September 23 2017 he and Sifunda had forced their way into a caravan parked on the premises of the Forest Hill Cemetery caretakers’ quarters and assaulted Jantjies and Ndiyane.
Pikoli claimed that when they entered the caravan Ndiyane had shouted at them and thrown a brick which hit Pikoli.
“I then hit [Ndiyane] several times on the head with the brick and [with] a hammer I found in the caravan,” Pikoli said.
Both Pikoli and Sifunda admitted to assaulting Jantjies and Ndiyane with a brick, hammer and iron rod before taking Jantjies’ car and abandoning it near Walmer township.
Jantjies later died from his injuries on the way to hospital.
They further admitted that on September 25 2017 they went to the Marine Drive, Schoenmakerskop residence of Alexander and Allwright with the intention of committing house robbery.
Pikoli said when they arrived at the house they jumped over a boundary wall and found a partially opened window through which they gained entry.
Once inside, Pikoli said he first encountered Allwright and hit her several times on the head and body with a hammer.
At that stage Sifunda encountered Alexander and called out to Pikoli .
“I caught [Alexander] outside and hit him on the head and body with a hammer,” Pikoli said.
Pikoli further admitted that his intention was to murder Alexander and Allwright.
State prosecutor Liesel Landman told the court that the state accepted the pleas before Gqamana convicted them on all the charges against them.
Pre-sentencing proceedings are expected to be heard on April 30.
Two men plead guilty to three murders, other offences
Image: EUGENE COETZEE
Two men charged with a string of offences including the brutal murder of three elderly Port Elizabeth residents in the space of two days pleaded guilty in the Port Elizabeth High Court on Tuesday.
Mbuyisela Pikoli, 37, and his co-accused Vuyani Sifunda, 21, pleaded guilty to the murders of Tyrone Winston Jantjies, 52, Kenneth John Alexander, 76, and his partner Elaine Allwright, 78, as well as the attempted murder of Thembalethu Ndiyane, 23.
Both men further pleaded guilty to one count of housebreaking with the intent to rob and two counts of robbery with aggravating circumstances.
After entering their guilty pleas, Pikoli asked judge Nyameko Gqamana to finalise the matter by passing down sentence immediately.
“I would appreciate it if the court could finalise the matter now. I would accept any sentence imposed by the court,” Pikoli said.
He said he had pleaded guilty freely and willingly because the matter had been going on for a long time.
Gqamana said it was not legally possible for Pikoli to be sentenced on Tuesday as pre-sentencing reports first had to be compiled.
In his plea explanation, Pikoli admitted that on September 23 2017 he and Sifunda had forced their way into a caravan parked on the premises of the Forest Hill Cemetery caretakers’ quarters and assaulted Jantjies and Ndiyane.
Pikoli claimed that when they entered the caravan Ndiyane had shouted at them and thrown a brick which hit Pikoli.
“I then hit [Ndiyane] several times on the head with the brick and [with] a hammer I found in the caravan,” Pikoli said.
Both Pikoli and Sifunda admitted to assaulting Jantjies and Ndiyane with a brick, hammer and iron rod before taking Jantjies’ car and abandoning it near Walmer township.
Jantjies later died from his injuries on the way to hospital.
They further admitted that on September 25 2017 they went to the Marine Drive, Schoenmakerskop residence of Alexander and Allwright with the intention of committing house robbery.
Pikoli said when they arrived at the house they jumped over a boundary wall and found a partially opened window through which they gained entry.
Once inside, Pikoli said he first encountered Allwright and hit her several times on the head and body with a hammer.
At that stage Sifunda encountered Alexander and called out to Pikoli .
“I caught [Alexander] outside and hit him on the head and body with a hammer,” Pikoli said.
Pikoli further admitted that his intention was to murder Alexander and Allwright.
State prosecutor Liesel Landman told the court that the state accepted the pleas before Gqamana convicted them on all the charges against them.
Pre-sentencing proceedings are expected to be heard on April 30.
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