A member of the notorious Blairgowrie axe gang, which terrorised the elderly in a series of robberies in 2016, has been convicted for his crimes.
Raymond Mpofu, who was arrested on May 27, 2016, was sentenced to 62 years in prison in the Randburg Regional Court on charges of aggravated robbery, assault and possession of stolen property on 17 April.
Investigating officer, Warrant Officer Anton Mahne, worked tirelessly to ensure that the culprit was brought to book.
In 2016, Randburg Sun published a series articles that covered the 11 robberies that took place in the Blairgowrie and surrounding areas. Each robbery involved two men who wielded axes, specifically targeting elderly residents in violent robberies.
Mahne said, “After tracking the suspect down, we discovered that he was working as a gardener at a house in Victory Park.”
At the time, Mpofu was working under a pseudonym. Mahne approached Mpofu’s employer and told her about the investigation. He also showed her a picture of Mpofu from a previous conviction, which she immediately recognised.
“As he only worked a particular day of the week, I asked the employer to alert me when Mpofu was at the house, and she did.”
When police arrived at the house, the employer indicated that Mpofu was working on the roof clearing dead leaves.
Mahne said, “The minute he saw us he bolted and jumped from the roof into the neighbour’s yard… I immediately gave chase, jumping over many walls… After wall by wall by wall, I eventually caught up to him when he got back onto the street.
“My colleagues who were also chasing him stopped their car in front of him as he ran, allowing me to grab hold of him.”
When police returned to the employer’s house, they discovered various items of stolen property hidden in the domestic worker’s room.
According to the Linden’s commander, Lieutenant Colonel Chris Raath, who also confirmed the events, Mpofu refused to give details of his accomplice in the crimes, who is still at large.
Mpofu will serve a minimum of 12 years, after which he will be eligible for parole.
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