2 convicted for killing cop

2008-08-07 15:32

Grahamstown - Two young Cradock men were convicted on Thursday of stabbing a policeman to death.

Grahamstown High Court Judge Jeremy Pickering postponed sentencing of Bakhulule Ngwala-Ngwala, 20, and Siyabonga Jim 19, both of Lingelihle, Cradock to October 14.

Both pleaded not guilty to the murder of Inspector Bazil John Quille, 38, in Tabok Street, Michausdal, Cradock, on the evening of August 10 last year.

Quille was walking home with his girlfriend from the White Horse Tavern when the pair stabbed him 38 times in the chest and back.

The murder weapons were a two-foot-long home made knife and one half of a sheep-shearing implement, with a bandage wrapped around the handle.

During the trial, the two men claimed blood found on one of the murder weapons was that of a springbok they had killed the day before the murder.

In his 90-minute judgment, Pickering praised state witness Malibongwe Ncaca who was an eyewitness to the murder.

Pickering said Ncaca knew the attackers well, and had told them their intended victim was a policeman moments before they killed him.

"Ncaca was an impressive witness and his evidence was both consistent and coherent and withstood cross-examination by the two defence counsels," the judge said.

"He (Ncaca) told this court that Ngwala-Ngwala often boasted how good he was at stabbing people, and even wore muti bands around his upper arms to prove it."

The motive for the murder was robbery, Pickering said.

- SAPA