On Tuesday, 24 November, a former police officer from Klerkskraal was put behind bars in the Oberholzer regional court. According to the investigating officer, WO Jacques Nagel of the Carletonville detective services, Frank Mkhandawiri (39) was sentenced for a case that took place on 14 December 2017. That day, Mkandawiri, his accomplice, Simphiwe Gumede (40), and another man were driving in the Carletonville area in an Opel Corsa bakkie. They picked up a hitchhiker who wanted a lift to Magaliesburg. Mkandawiri had his service pistol with him at the time. Shortly after they had picked him up, however, Mkhandawiri and his accomplice decided to rob the man. The hitchhiker fought back and was shot in the leg during the struggle to hang on to his possessions. Mkandawiri and Gumede then dropped the injured victim off on the side of the road and drove off with his belongings. The man luckily managed to make it back to Carletonville and reported the incident to the police in Carletonville. They called an ambulance to take him to hospital and alerted their colleagues to look out for the bakkie in which the suspects were travelling. An observant policeman soon spotted the bakkie at the Carletonville Mall and called for backup. When the SAPS swooped on the vehicle, two of the five occupants ran away, while the other three were arrested. 
While he was busy investigating the case, Nagel also received information that Mkhandawiri had an unlicensed firearm and unlawful ammunition in his possession. He managed to find and confiscate these. Mkhandawiri was sentenced to 12 years on charges of robbery with aggravating circumstances and attempted murder. He was also sentenced to another eight years imprisonment for housebreaking, being in possession of an unlicensed firearm and unlawful ammunition. During his investigation into the case, Nagel also linked Mkhandawiri to other crimes, including a house robbery in Carletonville in November 2017 and housebreaking and theft in Klerkskraal. He is still awaiting trial on these charges. As a result of his involvement in the crimes, Mkhandawiri was dismissed from the police during an internal disciplinary process last month. Gumede was sentenced to a total of 24 years imprisonment on charges of robbery with aggravating circumstances, attempted murder, kidnapping and house robbery. 
