The Mpumalanga High Court has handed down a lengthy sentence to the man convicted of killing decorated angler John Wickham.
Mozambican national James Cumalo pled guilty to murder and several other charges following his arrest in January 2024.
The 32-year-old illegal migrant was on Thursday sentenced to a life sentence of 25 years, plus an additional 38 years’ imprisonment.
“The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) commends the work of the investigating and prosecution teams in combating violent crime.
“The Authority reiterates that the value of human life cannot be overstated and reaffirms its commitment to pursuing such cases vigorously to ensure accountability and serve as a deterrent,” stated Mpumalanga NPA spokesperson Monica Nyuswa.
Murder in Dullstroom
Wickham had been staying in a guest house in Dullstroom in November 2023 when the property was invaded by Cumalo.
The NPA stated that Cumalo had hitchhiked from Pretoria to the area with the intention of committing a robbery.
After selecting his target, he forced himself into Wickham’s accommodation when Cumalo found the South African professional fisherman asleep in bed with his wife.
Cumalo then attempted to rob the couple, before an altercation ensued.
“When the victims resisted, the accused produced a firearm and fatally shot Wickham. He then fled the scene with stolen belongings before hitchhiking back to Pretoria.
“After the incident, he requested a friend to dispose of the firearm,” explained Nyuswa.
Stolen phone led to arrest
Cumalo kept Wickham’s cellphone, which was tracked by investigators, leading to his arrest and that of a co-accused.
The Mozambican was declared to be in the country illegally. The charges against the second suspect were later withdrawn due to insufficient evidence.
Cumalo pled guilty to murder, aggravated robbery, attempting to defeat the ends of justice and the unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition.
The postmortem confirmed Wickham had sustained “penetrating gunshot wounds to the neck and chest”, with the state arguing the crime was premeditated and for personal gain.
Cumalo received life imprisonment for murder, 15 years for aggravated robbery, five years for attempting to defeat the ends of justice and a combined 18 years for the unlawful possession of the firearm and ammunition.
