A man who gunned down two police officers during a patrol in Kraaifontein has been sentenced to two life terms and 47 years in prison.

Mxoleleni Sikhahla, 36, was convicted in the Western Cape High Court for the February 2021 killings of Sergeant Mnakwazo Mdoko and Constable Mninawa Breakfast.

The sentence was handed down on Wednesday, June 19, 2025, following Sikhahla’s conviction on nine of 10 charges.

The murders took place in the early hours of February 28, 2021, when Sergeant Mdoko, 44, and Constable Breakfast, 32, were ambushed while on patrol in Nondakuthini Street, Bloekombos.

Warrant Officer Zinzi Hani, spokesperson for the Hawks, said the officers were seated in their patrol vehicle when they were attacked.

“They were fatally shot while in their patrol vehicle,” Hani said. “It was further reported that Mdoko and Breakfast were declared dead on the scene and their official firearms were robbed in the early hours of 28 February 2021.”

The officers were ambushed at about 1.25am, according to the investigation.

Sikhahla was found guilty on two counts of murder, robbery with aggravating circumstances, unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition, three counts of possession of a prohibited firearm, and contravention of the Firearms Control Act.

He was acquitted on one charge of attempted murder.

The court ordered that the sentences on all counts except the first would run concurrently with one of the life sentences, resulting in Sikhahla effectively serving life imprisonment.

He was also declared unfit to possess a firearm.

The attempted murder charge arose from the shooting of a woman who was also in the police vehicle during the incident.

National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila said she was shot in the head and initially not accounted for.

“Please note that the attempted murder charge against Mxoleleni Sikhhala relates to a woman who was shot in the head. She was also in the police van,” he said.

A police source close to the investigation said the woman’s presence only became known later.

“When cops arrived in Phumla Street, there were only two occupants in the van.

“There was a trail of blood, and at the time, no one suspected that there was a person there. It was only discovered about a day later that there was a woman who was also shot during the incident.”

The sentencing also brought renewed focus to the lives lost. Sergeant Mdoko, a former private security guard, was a father of two daughters, aged 18 and 19. His wife was two months pregnant at the time of his death.

Constable Breakfast was also married and had two children — a 13-year-old son and a six-year-old daughter. He was identified at the crime scene by a relative.

Western Cape Hawks provincial head, Major General Mathipa Makgato, welcomed the outcome. “This case highlights the severe consequences for those who attack or kill law enforcement officers,” he said.

“The sentences handed down by the court are intended to serve as a deterrent to others and emphasise the value placed on the lives of those who serve and protect the public.”

mandilakhe.tshwete@inl.co.za 

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