Top Marikana cop charged with cop killings
Mpembe faces murder charges
Commanding officer in trouble over his role in deaths before massacre
Former North West top cop William Mpembe was yesterday charged with the murders of his colleagues.
Mpembe, who served as the deputy provincial police commissioner during the deadly Marikana mineworkers’ strike in 2012, was slapped with murder charges in the Rustenburg Magistrate’s Court yesterday for the killing of warrant officers Hendric Tsietsi Monene and Sello Ronnie Lepaaku.
The two were killed on August 13 2012 after they were attacked by a group of striking miners at Lonmin Platinum Mine in Marikana three days before police massacred 34 striking miners. Five people died on that day as police and striking miners clashed.
He was further, along with Gideon van Zyl, Dingaan Madoda and Oupa Pule, charged with defeating the ends of justice after they allegedly failed to report and concealed the death in custody of Modisaotsile Sagalala on August 16 2012. They allegedly attempted to pass on Sagalala’s death as that of Andrew Saffey, who died in hospital on the same day.
Mpembe, 55, has since left the police service and is now a security manager at Teresa Mine in Marikana.
He appeared alongside Salmon Vermaak, 53, Nkosana Mguye, 38, Collin Mogale, 49, Katlego Sekgweleya, 39, and Khazamola Makhubela, 49.
They were all charged with several counts of murder, attempted murder and attempting to defeat the ends of justice.
Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) spokesman Moses Dlamini said Mpembe was being charged with the murders of Monene and Lepaaku because he gave instructions to his members to throw teargas canisters into the group of striking miners.
“His actions for commanding officers to disperse the crowd led to the deaths of five people, including warrant officers Monene and Lepaaku.
“He caused the conflict and this is why he is being charged with their murders,” Dlamini told Sowetan.
Mpembe and Vermaak, both former police officers, were granted R5 000 bail, while Mguye, Mogale, Sekgweleya and Makhubela were each granted R2 000 bail.
Mpembe is further charged with the murders of Thembelakhe Mati and Semi Jokanisi, when they clashed with officers on August 13 2012.
The other five accused are charged with the murder of Phumzile Sokhanyile.
The cases were transferred to the Mafikeng High Court for pre-trial purposes.
Gareth Newham, a security expert with the Institute for Security Studies, said Mpembe was being charged on the grounds of common purpose because he had authority over the matter.
“If his actions led to the unnecessary deaths of his officers then Ipid, along with the NPA (National Prosecuting Authority), would’ve looked at the evidence before them and decided they had reasonable grounds to charge him with the murders of his officers,” Newham said.