Mpumalanga High Court sentences four men for violent crimes

Their sentences range from 45 to 248 years.
The Mpumalanga Division of the High Court sentenced four men on Thursday September 14 after they were convicted on charges of multiple counts of violent crimes.
These range from contravention of the Firearms Control Act, attempted murder, robbery with aggravating circumstances, assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm, possession of ammunition, possession of a firearm, discharge of a firearm in a public space, housebreaking with intent to steal and theft.

These crimes were committed between 2015 and 2019, in various locations in the Ehlanzeni District. Vusi Vincent Ceko (35) was sentenced to 248 years’ imprisonment, Senzo Lungelo Nyalunga (25) to 177 years, Bongani Mpila (42) to 50 years and Sifiso Mathonsi (35) to 45.
Judge Kgama Shai said he found no reason to deviate from the prescribed minimum sentence. The court also declared all accused unfit to possess firearms.

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“The four men acted in common purpose and terrorised communities in different locations in Tonga, Matsulu, Kaapmuiden, Pienaar, Barberton, KaBokweni and Luphisi. They would target homes owned by business people, break into their houses, threaten them with a firearm, demand money, steal their valuables like TVs and cellphones, and flee the scene with some of the victims’ vehicles. In one incident on February 28, 2019, the accused broke into a house in Zwelitsha, where they threatened the occupants with a firearm. They assaulted them and stole four cellphones, a laptop, wedding rings, clothes worth over R8 000, a white BMW and R15 000 cash. The men were linked to the crime through fingerprints and were positively identified by the victims through an identification parade. They were arrested, but escaped from lawful custody at Pienaar Police Station in 2020. They were rearrested in Nkomazi after six days and were sentenced to three years’ imprisonment,” said the Mpumalanga National Prosecuting Authority’s spokesperson, Monica Nyuswa.

In court, Ceko denied his involvement, but his two co-accused Nyambi and Mathonsi admitted to the crime. “Adv Msibi led testimonies of over 60 witnesses who told the court about how the events had unfolded. All the victims were able to identify the accused as the perpetrators. During the trial, it transpired that three of the accused have previous convictions for similar offences,” Nyuswa said.

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