NELSPRUIT – Five men who were found guilty of the murder of a security guard when they robbed a garage, have been sentenced to 25 years in jail. Judge Ronel Tolmay sentenced the men on Wednesday in the Nelspruit Circuit of the North Gauteng High Court of Pretoria.
Victor Mathebula (31), Mahlatse Gian Matsane (30), Beanen Mpho Matsane (31), Obbey Seerane (25), Socha Sunday Mokoena (25) were found guilty of two counts of robbery with aggravating circumstances, housebreaking and murder. Mahlatse Matsane was sentenced to 25 years for his direct involvement in the murder and the rest received 20 year jail sentences.
Tolmay recounted during the sentencing of all the other convictions the men had been sentenced to in the past for similar crimes since 2001.
“In order for remorse to be sincere, it must not be shown only after an accused is found guilty.”
She said these crimes were serious and an innocent victim died because of their actions. “Not one of them attempted to distance themselves from the robbery, they were part and parcel of this gang.’
A Sapa correspondent reported on Tuesday that the men were arrested separately during a crime spree of robberies around the Bushbuckridge area in December 2007.
The two incidents relating to the case occurred on December 6 and 7 of that year.
Mathebula previously testified in court that he was part of a gang that robbed a filling station on December 6, late at night. He said they broke open the door by using a crow bar and robbed the tills of their cash.
The following night they woke up garage attendants at another filling station in Hluvukani. The gang first pretended to be wanting to buy petrol but instead robbed them of their firearm, belongings and cash.
He also testified that Matsane shot the security guard and Mokoena stabbed a woman with a knife. All were arrested separately by police after the incidents.
