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A murder accused was brazenly executed in Cape Town’s Wynberg Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday, and the assassin vanished into the wind like it was nothing.
Initially, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) called the victim a state witness, per SowetanLIVE, with the police saying at the time that the motive for the attack formed part of its investigation and no arrests were made.
However, it has emerged that the victim is 50-year-old Dingalomoya Cintso, a taxi boss from Vrygrond, News24 reported.
Turns out he was actually accused in a murder case tied to an extortion racket in Muizenberg. He was shot dead just outside the regional magistrate’s chambers: four bullets, close range.
Despite the building being packed with cops and security guards, the shooter managed to flee the fourth floor, descend three flights of stairs, slip through a security turnstile, and hop into a getaway car, all before anyone could stop him.
Sources say the hitman didn’t even bring his own weapon. A woman allegedly smuggled the gun into the courthouse and handed it over. The metal detector at the entrance was apparently not working.
Cintso has been a target for a while now.
“He was ambushed outside this very court last year after another appearance, but he escaped unharmed. We suspect this is connected to the ongoing taxi violence in our area,” said a police insider.
The shooting triggered chaos inside the court. People bolted in every direction while Cintso lay slumped over a bench, dead on the fourth floor.
“It’s not the kind of thing you are ever supposed to hear in a courtroom,” said one shaken staffer. “It felt like I was in a movie.”
She tried hiding in a cupboard once reality kicked in. Surreal doesn’t even begin to describe it.
Wynberg court shooting, Cape Town:
A shooting occurred outside Wynberg Court when suspects jumped out of a white Toyota Quantum and opened fire.
One person was shot and succumbed to his injuries.
The motive is possibly gang-related.#CrimeWatch pic.twitter.com/sTxOma3HYq
— Yusuf Abramjee (@Abramjee) April 8, 2025
Western Cape MEC for Police Oversight, Anroux Marais, said “It is unacceptable that someone could enter a court with a gun. This highlights the urgent need for tighter firearm and ammunition control. I urge SAPS to act swiftly and bring the suspect to justice.”
Defence lawyer William Booth, also chair of the Law Society’s Criminal Law Committee, wasn’t surprised, noting how security guards need to be way more vigilant because this has happened before.
“The security at most courts around the country is a problem… The security equipment in most courts is not working.”
Booth added that court premises – not just inside, but the streets outside too – are becoming no-go zones.
Justice Department spokesperson Terrence Manase said Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi is alarmed: “Such incidents could deter witnesses from successfully assisting the State in prosecuting cases.” One fix on the table is virtual court appearances to keep witnesses breathing long enough to testify.
As for the gunman? Still out there.
This wasn’t just any cold-blooded hit. It’s believed to be part of the ongoing turf war between taxi operators and the JFK gang in Vrygrond. Cintso ran taxis in the area, an area that’s been a battleground ever since JFK boss Ashley “Essie” Phillips was gunned down in Brackenfell on 30 January while heading to sign his parole register.
Over a dozen people have died in the bloody fallout. According to local ward councillor Mandy Marr, the power vacuum left by Essie’s murder sparked a fresh war.
“It all started with Essie’s murder,” Marr said. “There’s some indication that taxi operators may have been involved (in his killing). Certain people are allegedly trying to claim the extortion rackets Essie controlled.”
Taxi operators have allegedly been strong-arming businesses, demanding they stop paying JFK members and instead pay them for “protection.” Classic mafia playbook. And the tension isn’t slowing down.
A 16-year-old’s killing in December already shut down taxi ops temporarily. Now, a daylight hit inside a courthouse has everyone asking: who’s next, and will the law ever catch up?
Because clearly, killers aren’t worried about showing up at court.
[Sources: SowetanLIVE & News24]
