One of East London’s finest police detectives has been praised by the National Prosecuting Services for his meritorious work in investigating the complex murder case of a five-year-old girl.
Warrant Officer Mzukisi Tolosi of Kidd’s Beach police station received the praise from Director of Public Prosecutions Advocate Lungisile Mahlati SC.
Tolosi re-arrested Sibusiso Butana who had “walked free” after raping, strangling and hacking to death a five-year-old girl in Good Hope village in December 2014.
Although Butana had been positively linked to the brutal murder of the little girl, a few months later he was released when the case against him was withdrawn as the sexual assault evidence collection kit compiled in the case went
missing.
In a letter addressed to the police provincial detective head, Mahlati said Tolosi had assisted Advocate Nickie Turner, the prosecuting advocate, in the case “in every way during the preparation for trial”.
“As a result of this dismaying turn of events, Warrant Officer Tolosi took over the investigation. They consulted with the witnesses in their houses. Turner reports that Tolosi was held in high esteem by the community and he treated every witness with respect and professionalism.
“He is a dedicated officer and his dedication paid dividends as the accused pleaded guilty,” said Mahlati.
Tolosi was happy with the accolade. “This is proof that if we dedicate ourselves to solving crimes, we will win the hearts of the communities,” he said.
Almost two years ago, on December 9 2014, the community of Good Hope near Kidd’s Beach woke up to the news that little Qhama Mnukwa had been kidnapped by a man, armed with an axe, who had disappeared into the bush with her.
The man, Butana, returned alone, claiming the girl had been killed by men from a neighbouring village.
The community asked him to go and find her and he returned with her tiny, lifeless body. Villagers accused him of the murder, which he denied. The post-mortem later revealed that the child had been sexually assaulted and strangled before she was murdered.
Butana was arrested but a few months later released after the evidence kit went missing.
The decision shocked the community and they lost faith in police investigators. One of those was the mother of the victim, Kuyasa Fakati, who said the decision to release Butana had nearly killed her.
“I could not believe that but I trusted God. That man took my child who was playing with her friends, to rape and kill her, that left me traumatised,” she said.
Embarrassed by this, Tolosi, who also heads the detective division, started investigating the case from scratch, visiting the crime scene, the victim’s friends and “piecing together” the evidence in front of him.
The case went back to court and the suspect was rearrested early this year. Last month Butana was sentenced to two life sentences for the rape and murder of the little girl.
East London police spokeswoman Warrant Officer Hazel Mqala said Tolosi had had to revisit the crime scene and speak to a number of witnesses. “That process of piecing together the evidence after a year of the actual crime being committed needed a special person and Tolosi proved to be that detective. That paid off later as the suspect confessed and got convicted,” said Mqala.
The mother said she was happy that justice has been served. “Though this won’t bring back my little daughter, many will be saved from this monster,” said Fakati. — bonganif@dispatch.co.za
High praises for ’dedicated’ detective
Warrant Officer Mzukisi Tolosi of Kidd’s Beach police station received the praise from Director of Public Prosecutions Advocate Lungisile Mahlati SC.
Tolosi re-arrested Sibusiso Butana who had “walked free” after raping, strangling and hacking to death a five-year-old girl in Good Hope village in December 2014.
Although Butana had been positively linked to the brutal murder of the little girl, a few months later he was released when the case against him was withdrawn as the sexual assault evidence collection kit compiled in the case went
missing.
In a letter addressed to the police provincial detective head, Mahlati said Tolosi had assisted Advocate Nickie Turner, the prosecuting advocate, in the case “in every way during the preparation for trial”.
“As a result of this dismaying turn of events, Warrant Officer Tolosi took over the investigation. They consulted with the witnesses in their houses. Turner reports that Tolosi was held in high esteem by the community and he treated every witness with respect and professionalism.
“He is a dedicated officer and his dedication paid dividends as the accused pleaded guilty,” said Mahlati.
Tolosi was happy with the accolade. “This is proof that if we dedicate ourselves to solving crimes, we will win the hearts of the communities,” he said.
Almost two years ago, on December 9 2014, the community of Good Hope near Kidd’s Beach woke up to the news that little Qhama Mnukwa had been kidnapped by a man, armed with an axe, who had disappeared into the bush with her.
The man, Butana, returned alone, claiming the girl had been killed by men from a neighbouring village.
The community asked him to go and find her and he returned with her tiny, lifeless body. Villagers accused him of the murder, which he denied. The post-mortem later revealed that the child had been sexually assaulted and strangled before she was murdered.
Butana was arrested but a few months later released after the evidence kit went missing.
The decision shocked the community and they lost faith in police investigators. One of those was the mother of the victim, Kuyasa Fakati, who said the decision to release Butana had nearly killed her.
“I could not believe that but I trusted God. That man took my child who was playing with her friends, to rape and kill her, that left me traumatised,” she said.
Embarrassed by this, Tolosi, who also heads the detective division, started investigating the case from scratch, visiting the crime scene, the victim’s friends and “piecing together” the evidence in front of him.
The case went back to court and the suspect was rearrested early this year. Last month Butana was sentenced to two life sentences for the rape and murder of the little girl.
East London police spokeswoman Warrant Officer Hazel Mqala said Tolosi had had to revisit the crime scene and speak to a number of witnesses. “That process of piecing together the evidence after a year of the actual crime being committed needed a special person and Tolosi proved to be that detective. That paid off later as the suspect confessed and got convicted,” said Mqala.
The mother said she was happy that justice has been served. “Though this won’t bring back my little daughter, many will be saved from this monster,” said Fakati. — bonganif@dispatch.co.za
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