Former Basketball Coach Sentenced To Life For Heinous Crimes

A former basketball coach has been sentenced to life imprisonment by the high court in Cape Town for the kidnapping, rape, and murder of a 12-year-old player from his team.

Marvin Minnaar, a coach for the Hout Bay Snipers, kidnapped 12-year-old Sibusiso Dakuse on February 26, 2020. Dakuse, who lived with his grandmother in Imizamo Yethu, Hout Bay, was reported missing when he failed to return home, prompting an extensive search that included questioning Minnaar.

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According to National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila, Minnaar and his stepfather visited the boy’s home to inquire about his whereabouts. Minnaar initially claimed he had walked home with Dakuse but said they parted ways near the police station.

“He maintained his lie even when the deceased’s grieving father asked about his son’s disappearance. Police discovered the child’s naked body two days later in a wetland near a horse trail. CCTV footage later showed the boy attempting to escape, but Minnaar caught and dragged him back into the bushes,” Ntabazalila stated.

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Meanwhile, medical reports confirmed evidence of sexual assault, strangulation, and multiple injuries, including a blunt-force trauma to the left eye. The postmortem determined strangulation as the cause of death.

Also, a psychological assessment of Minnaar found him evasive in responses and lacking remorse. He claimed he was unaware of the extent of the harm he caused and that he felt “rejected” by the child. The report highlighted antisocial traits, past conflicts with authority, and repeated disregard for social norms.

Minnaar received an eight-year prison term for kidnapping and two life sentences for rape and murder. The court ruled the kidnapping sentence would run concurrently with the life terms.

He was declared unfit to own a firearm or work with children, and his name will be added to the National Child Protection Register and the National Register for Sex Offenders.

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