House robber gets 25 years

A dangerous criminal who terrorised residents, especially in central Carletonville, landed behind bars for over two decades this week.

The Mozambican Josias Sithole (33) robbed several houses with an unknown accomplice until his arrest on the night of 3 June 2023.
That night alone, the thugs robbed homes on Zinc Street, Protea Place, Silver Street and Topaz Street. Sithole’s luck ran out when police arrested him on Topaz Street.

He appeared in the Oberholzer Regional Court before Magistrate Jan Steyn on Thursday, 14 March. Sithole pleaded guilty to the charges against him – theft, attempted murder, robbery with aggravating circumstances, two counts of housebreaking with the intent to rob and robbery with aggravating circumstances, and assault with the intent to do grievous bodily harm (GBH).

The court sentenced him to five years imprisonment for the theft, 15 years for the attempted murder, 15 years for the robbery with aggravating circumstances, 15 years on each of the housebreaking with the intent to rob and robbery with aggravating circumstances counts and five years for the assault GBH.

Magistrate Steyn ordered that the sentences for all the counts besides theft and assault GBH must run concurrently, meaning Sithole will serve an effective jail term of 25 years.

He will also be deported back to Mozambique once he completes his sentence.

Sithole lived in Bekkersdal at the time of his arrest. Unfortunately, no one could identify his accomplice.

Sgt Jabulani Ngobeni, a member of the trio task team, was the investigating officer.