Sgt Mthokozisi Ngwenya sat on the edge of his seat in the North Gauteng High Court’s gallery, listening intently as judge Papi Mosopa made his remarks on the sentencing of five men he found guilty of murdering Dumi Masilela.
There was a slight tinge of relief and satisfaction on Ngwenya's face as the life sentences were being read out for the five murderers of the Rhythm City star in 2017. It took four years of intense and diligent investigative work – countless trips between Gauteng, North West and Mpumalanga – for Ngwenya to nail the five murderers.
On the morning of August 3 2017 when news broke about Masilela’s death, Ngwenya was arriving at work. He was immediately assigned the task of hunting down Bongani John Masombuka, 34, Sfundo Harrison Nkosi, 33, Khumbudzo Solomon Mukhuba, 27, Brian Makhubedu, 24, and Mashudu Malema, 31.
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The Rhythm City actor had succumbed to a gunshot wound to the abdomen after a botched hijacking in Umthambeka Section in Thembisa.
A sixth suspect, Shadrack “Jovis” Mataule, was killed during a shoot-out with police officers during a separate crime.
“There was immense pressure because Dumi was a well-known person in the community. I was just a constable at the time with five years of experience in the detective unit and the commander placed this huge task on my shoulders,” explained Ngwenya.
The 39-year-old was attached to the Trio Crimes Task Team in Ekurhuleni when he was handed the responsibility of bringing the killers to book.
Ngwenya rolled up his sleeves and tapped into his sea of informants to try to establish the identities of the murderers.
“The commander knew I could do well with this case. Even when the province wanted to take the docket so the provincial team could investigate it, he refused because he had confidence in my ability to crack the case,” he said.
The father of two said he was able to obtain information that Masombuka, who was identified as the ring leader, was hiding in Rustenburg.
“Masombuka was arrested by the police in Rustenburg for possession of a stolen vehicle, a Toyota Quantum that was hijacked in Siyabuswa, Mpumalanga. A few days later, Nkosi handed himself in, while Mukhuba, the triggerman, was arrested for illegal possession of a firearm. It wasn't the same firearm used to murder Dumi. Makhubedu and Malema were also arrested at a later stage after we received information about their whereabouts,” he added.
Ngwenya, who was promoted to the rank of sergeant last year, said the mystery behind Masilela’s murder unravelled when Nkosi made a confession to the police about what took place on the night of the shooting.
“From there it became simple to understand the chronology of events. I was then able to verify information in the confession statement with crimes that were reported, such as the hijackings and kidnappings that happened before and after Dumi’s murder, which spread between three provinces,” he said.
“I was able to link all their roles and centralise five different dockets to make a watertight case to present to the court.”
However, this task was not without its challenges. The murderers dangled a carrot in front of him with promises of making him rich should he bungle his investigation and allow them to evade justice.
“When this did not work, I started receiving threats to mess up investigations or me and my family would be in danger,” explained Ngwenya, who was unfazed by the attempts.
“I joined the police in 2009 to serve my community. I joined the police because I wanted to see justice and make sure that criminals got what they deserved. This is a calling for me, I am not doing this to enrich myself. I am satisfied with what I earn because it comes from my sweat.”
Ngwenya’s career has had other highlights, though this conviction ranks highest.
In 2018 he scooped the award for best detective in his cluster between the ranks of constable and warrant officer.
“I was also able to secure two life terms in separate cases in the Benoni regional court as well. But this is my biggest achievement,” he said.
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