Police officers jailed for murder and attempted murder
IPID hails tough sentences as police officers face justice.
The Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) has announced two significant convictions involving police officers in Gauteng. Lieutenant-Colonel Christopher Mokoena of Vereeniging Saps has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for the murder of Sibongiseni Cele in 2024. The court heard that Mokoena accused Cele of breaking into his property and stealing property worth several thousand rand.
After the assault, Mokoena called the police, but refused to file a trespassing complaint against Cele, while Cele declined to file an assault case against Mokoena. Cele was found dead the following day, 4 March 2024. The court also ruled that Mokoena is unfit to possess a firearm.
In a separate case, Constable Kabelo Peace Maripane of the Johannesburg Rapid Rail Unit and his brother, Nape, have been sentenced to seven years each for attempted murder. The incident occurred in Tembisa in 2019. Constable Maripane, who was off duty at the time, allegedly threatened three friends walking along Makulong Section with his service firearm.
He fired towards the trio and then left. Maripane and his brother returned to the area later that night and opened fire, injuring two friends with multiple gunshot wounds. The third friend escaped unharmed and was taken to Tembisa Hospital for treatment. The court found the Maripane brothers guilty on 25 May 2026.
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