Duo sentenced to 30 years
Two men were sentenced to 30 years in prison for murder and robbery on Thursday.
MBOMBELA – The management of the South African Police Service in Mpumalanga have welcome the stern sentence meted on two men for killing Rian van Der Berg at his home in a farm situated in Malalane.
The duo, Collen Nhlanhla Shongwe (39) and Solomon Sydney Mabaso (34), were sentenced on Thursday at the Circuit of the Pretoria High Court sitting at Graskop on charges of robbery and murder.
Shongwe and Mabaso were brought to book within three days of the incident where they forcefully entered the house of the victim on 29 May 2014. They tied his hands, feet and hanged him to death with curtains. The duo, together with two other accomplices, who have already passed on, stole electric appliances in the house and fled the scene using the victim’s vehicle.
Collen Shongwe.
Police were alerted by the employees of the victim who spotted his lifeless body the following morning when they reported for duty. That was when a manhunt was launched and the suspects subsequently busted.
The accused were granted 25 years prison sentence for murder and 15 years for robbery each. Ten years of the robbery sentence will run concurrently with the murder sentence, which means they will serve an effective 30 years behind bars.
Management believes that this sentence will serve as a deterrent to other potential criminals. On the same note they applaud the diligent work by the investigation team.
Also read : Attempted murder case back in court
