Life sentences and 104 years in prison for foreign criminals
Two life sentences plus 104 years imprisonment were given to two Mozambicans under charges ranging from robbery, possession of firearms, and murder.
The high court in Thohoyandou sentenced Mahlasela Dan Mkhabela (42), Almando Fernando Mandlazi (39), and Santos Novela (39) to two life imprisonment plus 104 years imprisonment respectively, after they were convicted of conspiracy to commit robbery with aggravating circumstances, robbery with aggravating circumstances, murder attempted murder, unlawful possession of firearm and ammunition, and illegal immigration.
The court heard that in March 2017, a group of thirteen heavily armed men drove in a minibus from Tembisa in Gauteng to Makhuva village in Giyani to rob businesses owned by Ethiopian and Bangladeshi nationals. The group attacked the shops in the early hours of the morning accessing the businesses through holes in the walls of the shops and taking groceries, money, and cell phones while assaulting the shop owners and threatening them with firearms. Police received a tip-off and the description of the vehicle. While investigating the police came across the suspects and stopped them.
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The suspects started shooting at the police who retaliated and one police officer and one suspect were killed. The robbers fled the scene and ran into the bushes. Local community members joined police officers to search for the robbers and managed to arrest Mkhabela, while Novela and Mandlazi were arrested by police on their way to Polokwane. The accused pleaded not guilty to 14 charges. During the trial, Mkhabela testified that he was robbed of his taxi by one of the passengers whom he was driving from Tembisa to Giyani to attend a funeral.
Meanwhile, he was transporting a mini-army that was en route to attack shops. Judge Francis Kganyago remarked that the accused deserve to be punished as they had previous convictions.
