One robbery suspect granted bail

One of the suspects implicated in a house robbery in June in the Mckenzie area outside Radium was recently granted bail by the Bela-Bela magistrate’s court.

Linda and Hendrik Prinsloo, along with Linda’s mother, Seilie van der Linde, were held at gunpoint in their home in the early hours of the morning of Thursday 20 June.

The suspects broke a window open to gain access to the house. The Prinsloo family was awoken by the suspects who held them at gunpoint, according to police.

The victims were tied up in the main bedroom while the suspects rummaged through the house. The suspects then fled.

The police, in conjunction with the Heritage protection group (HPG) managed to arrest three suspects in the weeks following the robbery.

Justice Mudau (24), William Bapela (69) and Caswell Masuku (33) were taken into custody after suspected stolen property belonging to the Prinsloo family was found in their possession. Mudau and Masuku were arrested in Hammanskraal and Bapela in Mokopane.

Sgt. Frans Sekgobela, heading the Bela-Bela police’s farm attack and serious crime unit, along with his team, managed to track down the vehicle that was allegedly used in the robbery in
Soshanguve outside of Pretoria. The owner of the vehicle was never charged.

The last appearance of Mudau, Bapela and Masuku was on Wednesday 31 July in the Bela-Bela magistrate’s court.

Although the court denied them bail previously, it appears that new evidence had come to light. Because of this the suspects were given a second chance to bring another formal bail application.

Masuku received bail of R2 000 on the same day under certain conditions and was released.

Mudau and Bapela will apply for bail on Thursday 29 August, but will remain in custody until then.

Mudau however, who is from Zimbabwe, is also being charged for being illegally in the country.

The other suspects, believed to have been involved in the robbery, are still being sought by the police and investigations are continuing.

— The BEAT