Durban — A Chatsworth police detective has been awarded a certificate of appreciation for the work he put in which resulted in the recent conviction of a murder accused.
The accused was handed a 17-year prison sentence for the murder of a man at the Bottlebrush Informal Settlement.
Police said that on February 2, the Durban Regional Court sentenced Olwethu Ranana, 29, to 17 years of direct imprisonment for murder.
It is alleged that on May 7, 2023, an African male was murdered at the Bottlebrush Informal Settlement. Police immediately activated a team to conduct investigations and Ranana was arrested the next day. On May 9, 2023, Detective Sergeant Ndumiso Khambule successfully opposed bail citing Ranana as a flight risk.
“Unable to identify the victim, Sergeant Khambule sought assistance from SAPS Fingerprint experts who were able to identify the victim through records,” police said.
Sergeant Khambule had to visit the victim’s mother to inform her of her son’s death, which she was not aware of.
Police said management commended Detective Sergeant Khambule of SAPS Chatsworth for his meticulous investigation, for which he was rewarded with a certificate of appreciation.
At the time of the murder, South Africa’s crime statistics for the first quarter of the 2023/24 financial year (April-June 2023), revealed that 1 623 murders occurred in 2022 while 1 584 occurred in 2023. This was a difference of 39.
According to the crime statistics, 6 228 murders were reported during that time, a 196 decline from the same time the previous year.
However, there were 5 969 attempted murders reported, 393 more than the previous year.
There were 793 murders caused by arguments, misunderstandings, road rage or provocation, while 456 were due to vigilantism or mob justice and 301 were due robberies.
Most of the murders, 3 072, occurred in a public place such as a street, open field, recreational centre, park, beach, parking area or abandoned building while 1 685 occurred at residences of the perpetrator or victim, including residences known by victims or perpetrators such as family, friends or neighbours.
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