Man, 23, sentenced to life and 75 years for crimes including murder

A 23-year-old man, Marlon van Wyk, was sentenced to life and 75 years for a string of crimes including murder.

Sep 16, 2022 - 19:28
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Man, 23, sentenced to life and 75 years for crimes including murder

A 23-year-old man was sentenced to life and 75 years behind bars for a string of crimes committed from 2017.

Marlon van Wyk was handed his sentence by the Blue Downs Magistrate’s Court on Thursday, 15 September. According to Western Cape South African Police Service (SAPS) spokesperson Ndakhe Gwala, Van Wyk was arrested by Anti-Gang Unit detectives in 2020.

How was Van Wyk arrested?

Van Wyk was part of the ‘Skombiso’ gang and his arrest followed an investigation into the murder of a 61-year-old man in 2020. Gwala said that the victim and his daughter were walking in Kraaifontein when two suspects approached them and opened fire. The victim died in the gunfire.

During the investigation, Van Wyk was positively linked to the murder and other dockets that linked him to a number of incidents. 

The court case

The dockets were reportedly obtained and placed on the court roll.

Van Wyk was convicted on six counts and sentenced to life imprisonment for murder, 45 years for three counts of the possession of an unlicensed firearm and another 30 years on two counts of attempted murder.

“SAPS Management in the Western Cape commends the investigating officer, Detective Sergeant Thabo Mawanda of the Provincial Organised Crime Investigation Anti-Gang Unit and welcomes the hefty sentence handed to the perpetrator,” said Gwala.

Man, 29, sentenced to double life and 64 years for series of crimes

Meanwhile, it was previously reported that Xolisani Mfana Ngubane was sentenced to a double life term and 64 years for a string of crimes by the Pietermaritzburg High Court. The 29-year-old man was sentenced for 11 crimes committed between April and May 2019.

Spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Natasha Ramkisson-Kara said the crimes occurred in Ntshongweni and Hammarsdale.

According to Ramkisson-Kara, Ngubane killed Dumisani Moyo who was a chairperson of the African National Congress Youth League (ANYL) and branch task team convener in Ward 7 – party rivals hired him to murder Moyo. Read the full story here.