Nicholas Lungisa NCAMA

AKA "East Cape Killer" - "Ponky"

Classification: Serial killer
Characteristics: Rape
Date of murders: 3 - 6
Date of murders: May-October 1997
Date of arrest: November 1997
Date of birth: 1969
Victims profile: Luyanda Ngcizela, 21 (police woman) / Nompumelelo Mpushe, 26 (provincial legislature secretary) / Cynthia Ndlaku (the wife of a Port Elizabeth Methodist minister) / Prasella Dayal, 41, and her daughter, Rishmi, 5 / Sonia Zinto, 15 (his step-daughter)
Method of murder: Strangulation
Location: Port Elizabeth area of the Eastern Cape, South Africa
Status: Sentenced to life imprisonment + an effective 42 years in jail on December 17, 1998

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.

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.

Ncama went on to murder provincial legislature secretary Nompumelelo Mpushe (26) on the 1st of June 1997. 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 and strangled and left semi-naked in an empty room in KwaZakhele in October 1997.

Ncama was arrested in November 1997, but succeeded in escaping from police custody on the 3rd of April 1998. 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.

Nicholas Lungisa Ncama

On April 4, 1998, South African alleged serial killer Nicholas Lungisa Ncama escaped from police custody. Nick, age 29, was arrested in November, 1997, after a three-month police hunt in connection with several murders around Port Elizabeth.

Ncama is alleged to have murdered 15-year-old Sonia Zanto of KwaMagxaki, whose semi-naked body was found in an empty room in KwaZakhele in October.

His second alleged victim -- killed in September -- was the wife of a Port Elizabeth Methodist minister, Cynthia Ndlaku.

Ncama has also been linked to the deaths of provincial legislature secretary Nompumelelo Mpushe, whose body was found near Fort Jackson; Prasella Dayal (41) and her 5-year-old daughter Rishmi, both of East London, and a policewoman, Constable Gloria Ngcizela, whose body was found at a bus stop at Empa near Umtata in May.

Ncama gets life term for rape, three murders

Dispatch.co.za

Friday, December 18, 1998

GRAHAMSTOWN -- Convicted serial killer and rapist Nicholas Ncama, 30, of Port Elizabeth, was given a life sentence plus an effective term of 42 years' jail by the high court here yesterday.

He was found guilty on three counts of murder, one each of rape, attempted rape and indecent assault.

Leave to appeal against the life sentence and one of the sentences for murder and another of rape was granted. Ncama was given the life sentence for the murder and indecent assault of his 15-year-old step-daughter, Sonia Zanto.

Judge Lex Mpati said the circumstances of her killing and subsequent sexual assault "were despicable" and this was a case where the court could show "little or no mercy".

"She loved and trusted you as her father and you lured her into a flat and mercilessly strangled her to death after sexually abusing her. I cannot but imagine her pleas for mercy as you tightened the rope around her neck.

"Even if she could not cry out because of the constriction the plea would have been in her eyes -- looking directly at you as you slowly killed her. In my view you are a danger and threat to society."

Ncama drew 10 years for the rape and two 20-year terms for two counts of murder and four years for attempted rape. He was also sentenced to three years on three counts of theft.

Two of the four years for attempted rape will run concurrently with the ten years for rape, as will 12 months for the charge of theft. Ten years on the second murder count will run concurrently with the first murder sentence, as will two years imposed for two counts of theft.

This gives an effective prison sentence of 42 years on top of the life sentence.

Ncama, who has shown no remorse for any of his crimes except for the killing of his step-daughter, stood with his head bowed as he was sentenced. He did not display any of the bizarre behaviour that he had when convicted. Then he went berserk and had to be restrained by court orderlies.

The serial killer was sentenced to two terms of 20 years in prison for the murders of an Umtata policewoman, Ms Luyanda Nguzela, 21, on May 28 last year, and of a Bisho secretary, Ms Nompumelelo Mpushe, 26, four days later.

In dealing with the rape sentence. Judge Mpati said: "Rape is a very serious offence, constituting as it does the brutal humiliating invasion of the privacy and dignity of another person.

"Women are entitled to their rights and the court has a very clear duty to ensure that protection and we shall show no mercy to those who seek to invade those rights." -- ECN

Villagers help catch serial killer suspect

By Denver Donian - Dispatch.co.za

Tuesday, April 7, 1998

KING WILLIAM'S TOWN -- Quick police action and community support resulted in the recapture of alleged serial killer Nicholas Lungisa Ncama, 29, late yesterday afternoon.

Ncama escaped from custody on Friday night while with investigating officer Inspector Tommie Jafta, of the Port Elizabeth murder and robbery unit, who was following up further leads in the Debe Nek area.

Police launched an immediate search which continued through the weekend and yesterday.

The station commissioner here, Senior Superintendent Garry Neuwenhuis, said Insp Jafta received information yesterday from the Lungisa community that Ncama had been spotted in the area.

Insp Anthony Belling and Sergeant Benson Booi of the dog unit, with Sgt Hector Barnes of the detective branch, raced to the township. They saw a man running from dense bush up a hill towards the main road to Alice .

Insp Jafta and Sgt Barnes chased the man on foot for about a kilometre while the two dog unit members circled towards the road to cut off his escape. As they closed in on Ncama, community members ran towards where he was hiding to assist police. Once cornered, Ncama surrendered.

Supt Neuwenhuis said Ncama now faced an additional charge of escaping from custody along with several murder charges.

Ncama was last night under close police guard at the King William's Town police station. Today he will be taken back to Port Elizabeth where he will appear in court shortly.

Supt Neuwenhuis said Insp Jafta would discuss with the head of the detective branch in Port Elizabeth the matter of paying out the R20 000 reward offered for Ncama's rearrest.

Serial killer suspect in court

By Stan Mzimba - Dispatch.co.za

Tuesday, December 9, 1997

UMTATA -- Suspected serial killer Nicholas Lungisa Ncama, 29, appeared briefly in the district court here yesterday in connection with the death of a Bisho-based policewoman in May.

Wearing heavy legirons, Mr Ncama was not asked to plead and magistrate L Madikizela remanded him in custody until January 7.

Constable Luyanda Ngcizela, 21, was found dead at a bus stop at Empa near Umtata on May 28.

A piece of electric wire was tied around her neck.

Mr Ncama has been linked to five other murders in East London, Bisho and King William's Town.

He appeared in the Port Elizabeth Magistrate's Court last week and is due to appear in the East London court soon on other charges.

Investigating officer Sergeant Loyiso Mdingi, of the Umtata murder and robbery unit, said yesterday that Const Ngcizela's service pistol had been recovered.

Mr Ncama took police to the scene where the policewoman was killed, he said.

The charges against Mr Ncama have shocked his family, according to a relative who said at one stage he had studied for the ministry in KwaZakhele, Port Elizabeth.

According to the relative, Mr Ncama's wife is a teacher at Elliotdale.