Police pleased with several arrests and sentences
With the fluctuating crime rate in Bela-Bela, the police are pleased with their latest arrests and court sentences of suspects that were arrested for murder and theft.
Lt.Col. Annemarie Smith, head of the Bela-Bela detective branch, says they are pleased with the sentence of Alpheus Mokgotho, who was apprehended for damaging and stealing electrical components in a municipal substation in town in December 2022.
During the beginning of that month, Bela-Bela residents experienced countless power interruptions and cable theft was a primary cause.
The police, municipality, and Community Safety Forum (CPF) played a part in apprehending Mokgotho, who was caught red-handed inside a substation. It was established that Mokgotho was not a first offender.
After investigations were concluded, Mokgotho was found guilty in the Modimolle district court on Monday 29 May for contravening the Criminal Amendment Act by vandalizing or destroying essential infrastructure.
The court sentenced him to eight years imprisonment, said Smith.
- In another case, Lucky Alfred Lebese appeared in the Modimolle court on Wednesday 31 May.
Lebese was apprehended for the murder of Simbarashe Nyamarebvu (40), a Zimbabwe citizen, in October 2021.
Smith said the deceased and Lebese had an altercation over a cigarette that lead to Nyamarebvu being killed by Lebese.
The court sentenced Lebese to 12 years imprisonment after being found guilty.
- In another criminal case, the police are investigating the death of a young girl, Lizzy Letlhake (14), after she was allegedly assaulted by her brother (18) on Saturday 3 June.
Smith says that the two siblings were seen at the Californian Tavern in the township, where they had a physical altercation.
She had sustained injuries during the alleged assault and was taken to hospital, but died as a result, said Smith.
The suspect, Thapelo Letlhake, was arrested and charged with murder.
The Bela-Bela magistrate’s court already denied his bail application on Monday 5 June.
Smith says the matter was referred to the district public prosecutor for further instruction.
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- A Zimbabwean national, Luckson Banda, was arrested on Friday 9 June near the Shell garage in Bela-Bela.
The police established through questioning that he was illegally in the country.
After days in the prison cells at Bela-Bela Police Station, Banda was sentenced on Tuesday 13 June.
He received a fine of R1000 or two months imprisonment. He was also declared unfit to possess a firearm and will be deported to Zimbabwe.
- Bela-Bela resident, Johannes Mokwena, was arrested and charged with common assault on Sunday 11 June at a home in the township.
Smith says the police were called after Mokwena assaulted another person with a chair.
The court passed the sentence on Tuesday 13 June.
Mokwena must pay a fine of R1000 or spend two months in prison, which was suspended for three years. The court also declared him unfit to possess a firearm.
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The court sentenced resident Jerry Lefoka on the same day for assault to cause grievous bodily harm, after he stabbed a victim near the Bela-Bela clinic, in Extension 6 in the township.
The victim survived the assault, says Smith.
Lefoka was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment, but the sentence was wholly suspended for five years.
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Another Zimbabwean, Hazel Lunjaya, who was arrested in January for theft also appeared in court.
Smith says Lunjaya worked for a local cash loans business in Bela-Bela, she allegedly allocated payments made to the business to her own pocket. She swindled more than R38 000 from cash payments made by clients.
The owner became suspicious and opened a criminal case of theft.
The court sentenced Lunjaya to two years imprisonment but suspended it for five years.
Although she might be free from serving jail time, the court further ordered that she must refund her previous employer the R38 000 in full or the suspended jail sentence will come into effect, said Smith.
