Nicholas Lungisa Ncama
| Nicholas ‘Ponky’ Ncama | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Nicholas Lungisa Ncama c 1968 Port Elizabeth, South Africa |
| Criminal penalty | Life Sentence, effectively 42 years |
| Killings | |
| Victims | 6 |
Span of killings | 1997–1997 |
| Country | South Africa |
Date apprehended | 1997 |
Nicholas Lungisa Ncama is a South African serial killer who was convicted in 1997 of 3 murders and sentenced to life in prison. His victims all came from the Port Elizabeth area of the Eastern Cape.[1]
Criminal Activity
Ncama raped and strangled his victims, some of whom were or were related to notable personalities in the Eastern Cape. His first victim was a local police woman, Constable Luyanda Ngcizela (21) whom he strangled with electrical wire. Her body was found by a bus stop in Empa, near to Mthatha on the 28th of May 1997.[1] Ncama went on to murder provincial legislature secretary Nompumelelo Mpushe (26) on 1 June 1997.[2] Her body was found near Fort Jackson. His next victim was Cynthia Ndlaku, the wife of a Port Elizabeth Methodist minister followed by Prasella Dayal (41), and her daughter, Rishmi (5) both of East London. His last murder was that of his step-daughter Sonia Zinto (15) whom he raped[3] and strangled and left semi-naked in an empty room in KwaZakhele in October 1997.[4]
Arrest and Conviction
Ncama was arrested in November 1997, but succeeded in escaping from police custody on the 3rd of April 1998.[5] Ncama, a martial arts enthusiast, had been directing police to various criminal exhibits in a house when he escaped.
He was sentenced in Grahamstown on the 17th of December 1998 to life imprisonment + an effective 42 years in jail. Ncama was ultimately convicted on 3 counts of murder (Ngcizela, Mpushe & Zanto), 1 count of rape, 1 count of indecent assault (Zanto) and 1 count of attempted rape.[2]