Cape Town - The four men belonging to the “Ama Don’t Care” gang in Uitsig were on Thursday sentenced in the Western Cape High Court after they were found guilty of the murders of 4-year-old Likeshia Joubert, her 46-year-old grandfather Christopher Cornelius and 56-year-old Glenda Ruiters.
Dawnay Davids, Mahlubandile Jacobs, Moegamat Swarts and Vincent Davids were convicted in November 2022 for attacking the three victims in March 2019 and rampaging in the Uitsig, Ravensmead community as part of the “Ama Don’t Care” gang.
The complex trial process, which started in March last year, came to an end yesterday after numerous delays.
State advocate Liezl Scholzel came head-to-head with Judge Robert Henney, diving into the sensitive issue of using child witnesses in court and how the prosecution went about doing so. In the end, however, Scholzel was able to secure successful convictions and sentences.
Advocate Scholzel, in securing a sentence, said: “The Western Cape is under siege, there is no better way to describe it. Communities are being held captive by people like the accused.
“Considering the extremely high prevalence of these crimes within the Western Cape and the outcry of society for protection from these types of crimes and the victimisation caused by criminal gangs, there can be no alternative to the long-term imprisonment of all four of the accused,” she said.
The youngest of the foursome, Dawnay, will serve 20 effective years’ imprisonment for each murder, while
Jacobs received three life sentences. Swartz will serve 25 years imprisonment for his role in the murders.
Vincent, the eldest, was sentenced to one life term of imprisonment for the murder of Ruiters, and 10 years for aiding and abetting criminal gang activity.
Handing down sentence, Judge Henney said: “This case once again illustrated the scourge of gang activity, which usually takes the form of violent and murderous conduct that negatively affects our society, especially on the Cape Flats.”
NPA spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila said: “(Glenda) Ruiters’ sin was witnessing Cornelius and Joubert’s shootings while she stood outside her house.
“She told her family members that she feared for her life, as one of the shooters ran past her after the shooting. Eleven days later, on April 7, 2019, she was shot at point-blank range when she opened the door to (Vincent) Davids, who was accompanied by Swarts. Swarts fired shots at (Nikita) Ruiters but missed,” Ntabazalila said.
rafieka.williams@inl.co.za