Two men on parole from 15-year-jail terms each for separate robberies were sentenced by the Alexandra Magistrates’ Court to a further 15 years’ imprisonment each, also for a robbery they committed together.
Paulus Shibambo (33) and Sabata Tivani (44) were convicted for the robbery of a 51-year- old cyclist in an isolated area in Petervale, Sandton at 10am on 17 February. They emerged from the bush and at gun- and knifepoint demanded everything of value from him. One of them took the victim’s backpack and the other took his sunglasses, an I-Phone 7, GPS unit, wrist watch and the bicycle. They ordered him to walk in the opposite direction and not to look back or they would shoot him.
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After a short distance, the victim ran to a busier road, waved down a motorist for help with a phone to call his wife. Instead, he was taken home from where he drove in his vehicle to Gallo Manor Police Station and reported the incident.
Police took him in their vehicle and, using a device, he detected the movement of his phone on Woodmead Drive. Shortly after, they saw Shibambo pushing the victim’s bicycle on Old Pretoria Road and they stopped and arrested him when he failed to account for it. He was searched and found in possession of the phone, a gun with two bullets, sunglasses and watch.
After he revealed the whereabouts of his accomplice, police drove looking for him and the victim was handed the bicycle. On the way, a hawker stopped the police and alerted them to a suspicious person seated on a rock nearby. They approached him and he identified himself as Michael Mbata and claimed to be waiting for co-recyclers. After further interrogation, he admitted to being Tivani and was arrested.
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Both pleaded guilty to the robbery before Magistrate Renier Boshoff with Lufuno Maphiri prosecuting. Shibambo was found to have been on parole for a robbery in Alex in 2009 under alias Paulus, with an unspecified surname and Tivani on parole for a robbery in Brakpan in 2010 under alias Joseph Chauke. Their terms are likely to be extended when the Department of Correctional Services reviews their violation of parole conditions.
