Crime Intelligence officer jailed for helping murder suspect evade justice

DURBAN Magistrate Jackie Jonk had harsh words when sentencing disgraced Crime Intelligence officer Thulani Obed Thango to three years in prison, saying there was no place for dishonesty in the police service.

Thango was convicted of defeating the administration of justice for his role in helping ANC councillor Mthokozisi Nojiyeza evade arrest for murder. The charge stemmed from an elaborate 2018 scheme, orchestrated with now-deceased attorney Lunga Peter, to help Nojiyeza avoid apprehension by the Political Killings Task Team (PKTT) for the murder of fellow councillor Sibusiso Maphumulo.

Nojiyeza was eventually found hiding in a black Audi TT at Durban Central police station, with Peter fleeing the scene.

The sentencing proceedings included a dramatic revelation from probation officer Sanelisiwe Khumalo, who testified that Thango's dishonesty derailed her initial recommendation for a non-custodial sentence.

Khumalo stated that her perspective changed after interviewing the investigating officer and learning that Thango had falsely claimed ignorance about the police seeking Nojiyeza.

Defence counsel Advocate Peter Nortje made a final appeal, arguing that correctional supervision would be more appropriate for Thango, a father of 10 who is still employed by the SAPS and serves as a church elder.

Nortje pleaded for leniency, saying Thango's single conviction and claiming he acted out of misguided loyalty to a friend, not for gain. 

“When Thango was faced with a plea for help from a familiar face, he fell on the wrong side of the law helping a friend; he did not get anything in return for it,” Nortje argued, also warning against adding another person to the already overcrowded prison system.

However, senior prosecutor Nkululeko Msiya disputed the defence's attempts to minimise the sentence.

Msiya invoked the Madlanga Commission into police corruption to underscore the gravity of Thango's actions, arguing that the case fits perfectly with the issues being investigated.

He said the seriousness of assisting a murder suspect to evade arrest, noting: “He consciously decided to break his oath of office.”

Magistrate Jonk concurred with the prosecution, stating: “Thango, as a policeman, should have taken Nojiyeza to the police station. Thango was hiding a murder suspect from PKTT.

“Integrity and honesty are the cornerstones of cops - no place for dishonesty in the police force. Even at this stage, the accused has not accepted what he did. He does not acknowledge the extent of his error.”

Despite the focus on Nojiyeza's evasion, the murder charges against him were eventually withdrawn.

Nkosingiphile Moses Gumede was subsequently arrested, convicted, and sentenced to life imprisonment for Maphumulo's murder. Gumede is currently awaiting sentencing for ATM robberies committed with his co-accused using the same firearm.

Cape Times