North West Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant General Baile Motswenyane welcomed a life imprisonment term handed down by the North West High Court sitting in Potchefstroom on Friday, 7 June 2019 to Lincoln Myengwa Mabika (26) and Sifiso Bongani Ncala (27) in connection with the murder of Constable Armand Wagner.
The sentencing came after the pair were arrested on Wednesday, 6 June 2018, for the murder and robbery of a 23-year-old Constable Armand Wagner who was stationed at Klerksdorp Crime Intelligence. The young constable was at home on Tuesday night, 5 June 2018, when he received a call from the accused who were believed to be his friends at the time.
The Constable went outside to meet with Mabika and Ncala. The duo then demanded a cell phone and cash from Wagner who refused to accede to their demand. It was disclosed during court proceedings that Constable Wagner was at that point assaulted by the accused who stabbed him several times with a knife and left his body along the road in Klerksdorp.
The accused were apprehended the following day, Wednesday, 6 June 2018, in Alexandra Township, Gauteng Province where they fled to with the victim’s Volkswagen Polo. They were taken back to Klerksdorp where they have been behind bars since their arrest.
The accused were each sentenced to an additional 15 years imprisonment for robbery. The Provincial Commissioner applauded Klerksdorp Detectives and other role players for their dedication in making sure that the accused were arrested within hours after committing the crime and ultimately convicted. She said that killing of police officials ndermines the Authority of the State that deserves a harsh punishment as realised in this case.