GQEBERHA | CRIMINAL WHO PREYED ON THE SUMMERSTRAND AREA GETS 130 YEAR JAIL SENTENCE

A criminal from Walmer will spend 35 years behind bars after he was convicted and sentenced to 130 years imprisonment for a string of crimes committed between 2013 and 2018.

Mnikeli Manzi (31) committed almost all of his crimes in the Summerstrand area with only one house robbery committed in Lorraine. He was positively linked through DNA on these cases.

In June 2019, he was also charged for the murder of Hazel Huggins (85) whose body was found on the morning of 28 March 2014. Ms Huggins was found tied up on the bedroom floor and murdered. She was living in a retirement village in Summerstrand.

On Thursday, 17 March 2022, Manzi was found guilty and convicted on the following:

The murder charge was reduced to culpable homicide where he was sentenced to 7 years imprisonment

6 cases of housebreaking with intent to rob 

7 cases of robbery aggravating

5 cases of kidnapping

1 case of housebreaking with intent to steal and theft

1 case of theft from motor vehicle

In all of the above cases, he was sentenced to a total of 130 years imprisonment of which some sentences will run concurrently with others therefore a total of 35 years imprisonment will be effectively served.

Acting Nelson Mandela Bay District Commissioner, Brigadier Luntu Ngubelanga welcomed the sentencing and commended the investigating officer, Detective Constable Ridwaan Baatjies whose thorough investigation in all of the above cases resulted in a watertight case against the accused. ‘The accused’s criminal reign has finally ended and he will now spend a very long time behind bars. We cannot afford to give criminals who brazenly terrorise our communities, any room to breathe. It is clear they will stop at nothing to get their way, including audaciously attacking the vulnerable in order to succeed with their devious acts,’ added Brig Ngubelanga.