A 17-year-old boy has been sentenced to four years’ imprisonment for the murder of 23-year-old police officer Constable Courtlin Lackay, following a ruling delivered at the Beaufort West Magistrate’s Court on 18 May 2026.
The case also involved his co-accused, Siyamthanda Mafata, who was separately convicted in connection with the incident.
The court heard that the fatal attack occurred on 24 August 2025, when police officers responded to a disturbance at an entertainment venue on Gaba Road in Kwa-Mandlenkosi, Beaufort West. Upon arrival, officers discovered Constable Lackay had been stabbed in the back. He was declared dead at the scene.
The suspects fled on foot immediately after the attack, triggering a manhunt led by the Hawks’ Serious Organised Crime Investigation unit in George. Both accused were arrested later the same day following an intelligence-driven operation.
Authorities described the case as a shocking attack on a law enforcement officer who was on duty.
“The accused fled the scene on foot and Constable Lackay was declared dead on the scene,” police sources confirmed during the investigation.
The minor was sentenced to a compulsory residence at a youth care centre, followed by four years of direct imprisonment.
Mafata was found guilty of defeating the ends of justice and received a 12-month prison sentence, wholly suspended for three years on condition that he is not convicted of a similar offence during that period.
The sentencing has been welcomed by law enforcement authorities, who say it sends a strong message about violent attacks on police officers in South Africa.
No tags for this post.
