Car theft
• On March 7, a 24-year-old man from Vosloorus was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment on a charge of theft of a motor vehicle.
Neo Lebilo pleaded guilty and was found guilty on March 7.
On September 29, last year, the accused stole a Mazda 323 valued at R18 000.
Magistrate Harichand presided and prosecutor Mbonani represented the State.
Rape
• On March 7, an 18-year-old man from Vosloorus was sentenced to an effective eight years in prison on two counts of rape, which he committed when he was 15.
Mpumelelo Ramela, represented by his guardian, Sarah Ramela, pleaded guilty to both charges and was found guilty on November 5.
Count 1: On November 20, 2018, the accused unlawfully and intentionally committed an act of sexual penetration on a male child who was five at the time by inserting his genitals into the victim’s anus.
Count 2: On November 20, 2018, the accused raped another male child who was five at the time.
He was sentenced to eight years’ imprisonment on the first charge and eight years’ imprisonment on the second charge.
The court ordered that the sentence of the first count run concurrently with the second count.
Magistrate Harichand presided and prosecutor Mbonani represented the State.
Theft (shoplifting)
• Wendy Mbali Hlatswayo (22) from Johannesburg was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment, of which 12 months was suspended for five years, for stealing 21 children’s T-shirts from a retail store.
The woman pleaded guilty, was found guilty and sentenced on March 7.
She was previously convicted of theft in Durban (February 2020) and Potchefstroom (April 2021).
Magistrate Havenga presided and prosecutor Lingane represented the State.
Theft (shoplifting)
• Loveness Ncube (28) from Zimbabwe pleaded guilty and was found guilty on a charge of theft on January 12 and sentenced to six months’ imprisonment on March 11.
On October 22, last year, she stole three Guess jeans to the value of R2 099.85 from Edgars in East Rand Mall.
Ncube has three previous convictions for theft (2014) and four for fraud (2015, two in 2016 and 2017).
Magistrate Bacon presided and prosecutor Maluleka represented the State.
Attempted murder/robbery
• Paseka Teba (29), a Lesotho national from Angelo informal settlement, was recently sentenced to an effective 10 years in prison on five of nine charges brought against him for incidents that occurred in Angelo informal settlement between May and June 2016.
He pleaded not guilty on the nine charges, including attempted murder and robbery with aggravating circumstances on June 1 last year.
He was found guilty and sentenced on March 14.
Count one (robbery with aggravating circumstances): On May 14, 2016, the accused assaulted a man and took his cellphone, passport, R1 000 cash and boxes of cigarettes with force while wielding a firearm.
Count two (attempted murder): On May 14, 2016, Teba attempted to kill the same man by shooting at him with a firearm.
Count three (housebreaking with the intent to rob): On June 3, 2016, the accused broke into and entered a garage and residence in Angelo informal settlement with the intent to rob.
Count four (robbery with aggravating circumstances): On June 3, 2016, the accused assaulted a man and took items, like his cellphone and shoes, with force while wielding a firearm.
Count five (attempted murder): On June 3, 2016, Teba tried to kill the same man by stabbing him with a knife and shooting him with a firearm.
Count six (robbery with aggravating circumstances): On June 11, 2016, the accused assaulted a man and took his cellphone with force while wielding a firearm.
Count seven (attempted murder): On June 11, 2016, Teba tried to the kill the same man by shooting at him with a firearm.
Count eight (robbery with aggravating circumstances): On June 11, 2016, he assaulted another man and took his two cellphones and R250 cash with force while wielding a firearm.
Count nine (pointing of a firearm): On June 15, 2016, Teba pointed a firearm at a person without good reason to do so.
He was sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment on count one, three years’ imprisonment on count two, 10 years’ imprisonment on count six, three years’ imprisonment on count seven and eight years’ imprisonment on count eight.
The court ordered that the sentences of count two, six, seven and eight run concurrently with count one’s sentence.
Magistrate Ramupfhufhi presided and prosecutor Fyfe represented the State.
Also Read: Court in Brief
Also Read: Court brief: Young hijacker sentenced to five years
