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Ex-policeman Gets 36 Years for Colleague’s Murder in Limpopo

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3 weeks ago

August 12, 2025

Chiraag

Limpopo police murder, ex-policeman sentenced, Olson Mnisi case, SAPS officer murder, Namakgale crime, Joburg ETC

A crime that shattered trust in the badge

In Limpopo’s Namakgale community, the image of a police badge took on a darker meaning this week. A man once trusted to protect has been condemned for betraying that very duty. Former warrant officer Olson Mnisi, 63, will spend the next 36 years in prison for murdering his colleague, Colonel Lesiba Gilbert Matsetela, and attempting to kill two others during an arrest in 2018.

The Limpopo Division of the High Court in Polokwane sentenced Mnisi to 20 years for murder and 16 years for two counts of attempted murder. He was also declared unfit to own a firearm under the Firearms Control Act.

How the arrest turned deadly

On 16 September 2018, in Mashishimale Village, officers from Namakgale and Bushbuckridge SAPS were tasked with arresting a suspect in an armed robbery case.

The suspect was found at a local tavern. One officer spoke with him before making the arrest. Without any warning, Mnisi opened fire on Colonel Matsetela and the suspect, injuring them both. Despite Matsetela pleading with him to stop, reminding him they were colleagues, Mnisi continued shooting.

Matsetela was rushed to hospital but later died from his injuries. Mnisi was arrested shortly after the incident.

Courtroom gravity and public reaction

State advocate Patrick Magoda told the court the crime was more than a murder. It was the betrayal of a bond between officers who rely on one another for safety. He reminded the court that the victim’s family had lost a father and breadwinner and said Mnisi’s actions undermined public trust in the police.

“This sentence must send a message,” Magoda told the court, “especially to public servants who abuse their positions.”

Advocate Ivy Thenga, Limpopo’s Director of Public Prosecutions, said the ruling showed that violations of law and police ethics would not go unpunished.

IPID welcomes the sentence

The Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) welcomed the judgment. Spokesperson Phaladi Shuping confirmed that Mnisi had retired from SAPS before sentencing.

For Matsetela’s family, the decision brings justice but no relief from the pain of losing a father and colleague. It remains a stark reminder that trust within the police ranks is both essential and fragile.