NELSPRUIT – “I forgive you, but if you don’t change your ways, you will die.” These words rang true when a victim of an armed robbery and hijacking prophesied the future for one of her attackers.
This occurred during a spate of robberies that terrorised the Brondal and Yaverland area from January to April in 2010.
Madala Ngwenya (32), Bennit Maseko (29) and Thokozane Henry Vilikazi (28) were all supposed to be in court on Wednesday, but as fate would have it, only Ngwenya was still alive. He admitted to the possession of stolen items and was sentenced to two years or a R8 000 fine.
But fate had also played another part in
his story.
Prosecutor
Ms Isabet Erwee said Ngwenya was the one suspect she didn’t have a visual identification for and felt her case against him was weak.
But when he was released on bail during the proceedings, he committed another five or six robberies which he was then subsequently
jailed for.
Maseko, who was positively identified by one of the victims of the robbery spree and who was told by a woman that if he didn’t change his ways, he would die, actually did die from an illness while incarcerated.
Vilikazi also died when he became embroiled in a love triangle. He apparently took his girlfriend in his car and drove straight into a truck.
The three men were apparently all part of a gang that had broken into plots in the area. Erwee said the gang must have watched the home before they attacked. “They would strike a house at night when they knew at least one person would go and bath or shower. Then after hearing the water, they would strike.”
