A Cape Town man was sentenced to 55 years in prison after confessing to murdering his victim on orders from alleged underworld kingpin, Nafiz Modack.
Abongile Nqodi was convicted in the Khayelitsha Priority Crimes Court on charges of related to gang activities, conspiracy to commit murder, murder, and illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition, as per News24.
However, the main charge brought against him had been the murder of Nicholaas Heerschap, 74, who was shot during a hit that was meant for his son outside their home in Melkbosstrand in 2019.
According to IOL, Heerschap, who was a former member of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) Warrant Officer Nico Heerschap had been investigating Modack during the time of the hit.
Nqodi informed the court that he was a member of the 28s prison gang and the Terrible West Siders in Woodstock. Entering into a plea-and-sentence agreement, he confessed that he, along with three other men, had driven to the Melkbosstrand residence to kill Heerschap Junior.
“When they arrived at the address, they saw a white male reversing out of the yard in a bakkie. He and [the back-up shooter] got out of their vehicle, went to the reversing vehicle, and he shot the driver twice in the head,” indicated National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila.
The three men were reportedly paid R25 000, which they split amongst themselves.
Nqodi further confessed that he had murdered his victim on instruction from Modack and the leader of the Terrible West Siders, and that Modack had paid the money for the hit.
The 55-year sentence handed down by the court was welcomed by Advocate Nicolette Bell, Director of Public Prosecutions in the Western Cape. Bell noted that the killing of law enforcement officers simply doing their jobs was a very serious crime and should have harsh consequences.
“The killing of law enforcement officers is a crime against the state, and the book should be thrown at anyone who is involved in such a crime. We need to get behind the hitmen and deal harshly with those who give them instructions,” she stated.
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Modack’s advocate finds a bail loophole – getting away with murder?
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