Justice has been served for the victims of the gruesome 2024 bread truck murder after the Western Cape High Court sentenced murderer Ayanda Dayi to four life sentences and 102 years imprisonment.
Dayi was sentenced following his conviction for the murders of Xolani Gaji and Cebisile Mfundiso, who were executed while delivering bread at a spaza shop in Delft.
He was also convicted for the murders of Eric Yaphi and Elvis Thembelani Cwethiso, two other unarmed men who were hijacked and fatally shot in Du Noon.
Danger to the public
Acting Judge Mandy Van Leeve of the circuit court sitting in Wynberg Regional Court described Dayi as a danger to the public and said he showed no remorse as he was sentenced on Tuesday.
“There has been no acknowledgement of wrongdoing, no insight into the harm caused, and no expression of regret toward the victims or their families,” National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila said.
Van Leeve added that the accused has a propensity for violence and a willingness to resort to extreme violence.
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The footage of three men in a Sasko bread truck being shot at close range while delivering bread at a spaza shop in Symphony Way, Delft, on 16 May 2024, sent shockwaves across the nation.
Dayi’s violent crime spree, however, started on the evening of 24 January 2024 on Usasaza Street, Du Noon. The accused and an unknown man shot Yaphi and Cwethiso and hijacked Cwethiso’s vehicle.
The police began an investigation, collecting four cartridge casings at the scene, and later found Cwethiso’s vehicle at Gushindoda informal settlement in Delft.
Dayi’s violent crime spree
The car was locked and required towing, but when the police returned, they found Dayi and his stepson inside with an open firearm on the front seat. The accused escaped after throwing sand at an officer.
Forensic analysis linked one bullet from Yaphi and Cwethiso’s murders to the recovered firearm, while Dayi’s fingerprints were found on the vehicle.
Later on, on the morning of 16 May 2024, Aphiwe Nogaya and his colleagues, Gaji and Mfundiso, delivered bread at a spaza shop at the corner of Delft Main Road and Symphony Way.
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Nogaya and one of the deceased received money from the shop owner and returned to the truck. They handed the money to the driver, who started counting it as he had to drop it in the safe behind the front seats.
Dayi approached the truck, pointed a firearm, and then opened the driver’s door while an accomplice, known as Soso, appeared at the passenger side with another gun.
The duo stole money and a cellphone, searched for firearms, and fired at the three victims, discharging at least eight shots. Nogaya survived the shooting, but he was hospitalised and required surgery.
Bread truck murder families ‘sentenced’ at the hands of accused
In arguments of aggravation of sentence, senior state advocate Esna Erasmus argued that the victims’ families received death sentences at the hands of the accused.
“The families of each of these four deceased, as well as Nogaya, were themselves condemned to a different kind of life sentence, one of permanent grief, unanswered questions, trauma, nightmares, and irreplaceable loss,” Ntabazalila said.
Dayi was sentenced to life imprisonment for each murder, 15 years for each robbery with aggravating circumstances, five years for theft of a firearm, 15 years for each illegal possession of a firearm, four years for each illegal possession of ammunition, and 10 years for attempted murder and was declared unfit to possess a firearm.
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He also had prior convictions for robbery in 2002, receiving a four-month suspended sentence, and for rape in 2007, for which he was sentenced to 18 years’ imprisonment. Dayi was released on parole in April 2018 to complete his sentence by July 2025.
“The fact that he re-offended while benefitting from conditional release demonstrates a blatant disregard for the law and for the leniency previously extended to him,” Ntabazalila said.
Western Cape Director of Public Prosecutions, Adv Nicolette Bell, applauded the collaborative work of the investigation and prosecution team. Bell said Dayi displayed extreme cruelty against unsuspecting unarmed victims who never showed any resistance.
Cruel crimes
“We hope the families of the victims, who we have been told have relocated to the Eastern Cape, will find solace in knowing that this accused, who is an extreme danger to society, has received sentences that fit the cruel crimes he has committed,” Ntabazalila said.
“It can never be overemphasised how important human life is, and therefore, we will be vigorous in our pursuit of these cases to serve as a deterrent to would-be murderers.”
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