National police commissioner Gen Khehla John Sitole has welcomed the lengthy sentence handed down to convicted murderer and gangster Faldeen Marks, aka Saampie, saying it will serve as a deterrent for gang-related crimes and instil confidence in potential whistleblowers to come forward.

Marks, 33, a known Cape Town gangster, was sentenced in the Johannesburg high court on Friday to 275 years’ imprisonment on multiple charges including several counts of murder.  

"Between 2016 and 2017, Marks murdered four people in Westbury and in September 2017 he murdered a fifth person in Eldorado Park. In October 2017 Marks was arrested with a semi-automatic pistol. After being charged on 23 counts including the five murders, he was taken through the criminal justice process," said national spokesman Brig Vishnu Naidoo.

"Yesterday, the Johannesburg high court judge sent Marks to prison for a very welcome 275 years." 

Sitole applauded the two Gauteng detectives as well as the forensic experts and prosecutors for their roles in ensuring the successful prosecution of Marks.

"The conviction and sentencing of this ruthless criminal will certainly help our cause a great deal to successfully combat gangsterism and reduce the murder rate in our country.

"This sentencing is indeed encouraging in that it will instil confidence in potential whistleblowers to come forward as well as serve as a deterrent to future gang-related crimes," added Sitole.