WESTERN CAPE – The Western Cape SAPS management has welcomed the sentences handed down by the Western Cape High Court to two men from Manenberg. The duo was sentenced to 82 years in prison which will run concurrently, for crimes committed between 2016 and 2017, including the contravention of the POCA Act.
The High Court Judge yesterday, 24 January 2020 sentenced Donovan Manno, 26, for the two murders to 24 years each imprisonment which will run concurrently three years in contravention of POCA, six years for the possession of an illegal firearm six years for possession of prohibited firearm, six years for the possession of ammunition the sentences will run concurrently. He will serve an effective 24 years in prison. Moegamat Moesfiek Fillis, 16 was sentenced to 13 years direct imprisonment which include the three years for being in contravention with the POCA. He was a juvenile when he committed these heinous crimes. Both accused were members of the Hard Living gang.
Manenberg SAPS serious violent crimes unit detectives conducted thorough investigation and ensured the conviction of the perpetrators. The experienced detectives presented a water tight case before the court which led to them being successfully convicted.
The cases presented before court spanned over two years from 2016 to 2017 before they were stopped in the tracks. Their lawless reign of terror was stopped when the detectives relooked at the cases.
On 21st November 2016 at 09:00 members deployed in the Manenberg policing precinct patrolled the area in Red River Walk in Manenberg. They saw two suspicious persons running towards Red River primary school. Police members observed and noticed the two men running through the school and as soon as they saw the police they dropped a firearm. Police members cornered the two and recovered a 9 mm Norinco pistol with the serial number removed and loaded with ammunition.
In 2017 on 17 October a 26-year-old Yusree Marais was fatally wounded in a gang shooting in Grieta Court Manenberg. Moesfiek Fillis and Donovan Manno walked up to the 26-year-old victim who was standing at a gate of a residence in Groeta court and fired several shots at him hitting him three times in the head. The victim died on the scene.
Manenberg SAPS detectives worked around the clock and obtained statements implicating Moesfiek Fillis and Donovan Manno as the shooters.
On 18 October 2017 at 15:20 a 26-year- old male Moegamat Cassiem O’Neil, member of the Jester gang was sitting in Red River Street. According to eye witnesses two males walked up to him and without any warning fired several shots at him, killing him in cold blood. As they fled the scene an innocent bystander was also hit by shrapnel suffering a serious wound to her right leg.
Again Moesfiek Fillis and Donovan Manno were pointed out as being the perpetrators in this senseless shooting. Ten cartridges and three projectiles were collected as evidence from that crime scene.
Donovan Manno was arrested, in Thames Avenue soon after the shooting and the unlicensed firearm was recovered in his possession.
Moesfiek Fillis and Donovan Manno were kept in prison for the duration of the investigation as the detectives opposed bail sighting their reign of terror and ruthlessness.
Source: South African Police Service