Following their conviction for the rape and murder of 19-year-old Zoliswa Nkonyana, targeted for her sexual orientation, two of the perpetrators are now accused of the robbery and murder of Cape businessman Charl Munnik subsequent to their release on parole.
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Luyanda Lonzi, Sicelo Mase, Awonke Ziqu and Ndyebo Dotwana appeared for pretrial proceedings at the Western Cape High Court last Friday.
National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila affirmed that the group’s trial is scheduled for August.
Lonzi and Mase, along with Lubabalo Ntlabathi and Mbulelo Damba, were handed an 18-year sentence for the brutal assault and killing of Nkonyana, an incident that shook the Western Cape in 2006. The trial endured for six years before the verdict and sentencing.
As outlined in the indictment regarding the Munnik case, the accused face nine charges, including robbery with aggravated circumstances, murder and possession of an unlicensed firearm and ammunition.
The State aims to demonstrate that the group fatally shot Charl Munnik, a well-known jeweller in Worcester, during a robbery at Munnik Jewellers on 29 January 2021, after forcibly seizing his possessions. Evidence will indicate premeditation in the murder.
On the day of the incident, Munnik and his female relative, who co-ran the business, were present with employees when four men entered and declared a robbery. Surveillance footage captured the robbery, depicting two assailants wielding firearms, with one forcibly taking belongings from the female victim.
In the aggravated robbery charge, the State alleges the group forcefully took items from the woman, including jewellery and a cellphone. Munnik, responding to his mother’s distress, had his licensed firearm at hand. During the confrontation, shots were fired, fatally injuring Munnik, and the assailants fled with his firearm.
The State asserts that three accused hail from Khayelitsha and are identified through facial recognition and an identity parade. Lonzi and Dotwana were apprehended in Worcester, while Mase and Ziqu were arrested in Lentegeur.
According to court documents, the group was found in possession of a 9mm Parabellum Calibre Glock model 43x semi-automatic firearm with its serial number tampered, traced back to Munnik.
Additional records reveal that Lonzi and Mase were granted parole in 2019, with Lonzi’s parole set to end in April 2026 and Mase’s in 2025. Lonzi, previously convicted, also escaped custody during the Nkonyana murder trial. Mase is classified as a high-risk prisoner. Both are currently incarcerated.
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