Randfontein detective Warrant Officer Santie le Roux is the perfect example of the Randfontein SAPS meaning business when fighting crime and stopping criminals in their tracks.
This after Le Roux managed to investigate and conclude three dockets within the last few weeks.
According to Randfontein SAPS spokesperson Captain Appel Ernst, the first case stems from an armed robbery in July 2012 at the Sterns jewellery shop in the Village Square mall.
The robbers took jewellery worth approximately R800 000 during the robbery.
Upon their arrival at the scene, police officers found one of the robbery suspects in the parking lot of the Village Square mall with a bullet wound to the head.
It has emerged since that the robbers were fighting among themselves, which resulted in one of the robbers being shot by another.
The injured suspect was taken to hospital for treatment, but lost both his eyes as a result of the shooting.
The 30-year-old Sibanda Qhubekani was found guilty on two charges of possession of arms and ammunition, and business robbery.
He was sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment wholly suspended for five years on condition that he is not convicted of similar crimes during the suspension period.
Another case Le Roux recently concluded involved the murder of a woman following a domestic dispute with her boyfriend.
This incident occurred in April 2013, when police were called out to a domestic disturbance at the Jabulani informal settlement in Randfontein.
Upon their arrival at the scene, police officers learned that a local woman was being held hostage by her boyfriend in her shack.
The suspect allegedly threatened to set fire to the shack should anyone approach.
Police officers were able to reason with the man, and they managed to convince him to open the door.
Inside, police officers discovered the body of the 20-year-old victim Nthabiseng Malematia.
She was stabbed to death.
The 30-year-old suspect, Reuben Modau was arrested.
Magistrate Ettiene van Niekerk found him guilty of murder in the Randfontein Magistrates’ Court on 17 October and sentenced him to 20 years behind bars.
The last case also involves domestic violence.
During April this year police were called out to the Master Plot informal settlement in Wilbotsdal, where 46-year-old Sergio Ovila allegedly had assaulted his girlfriend, Virginia Thole, with a baseball bat.
The victim was hurt badly and taken to a hospital, and the suspect was arrested on the scene for assault.
Thole later died as a result of her injuries, meaning that the case against Ovila had escalated from assault to murder.
The case was concluded in the Gauteng High Court sitting at Palm Ridge on 25 October when Ovila was found guilty of assault with the intent to cause grievous bodily harm and sentenced to a R5 000 fine or two years’ imprisonment, as well as four years of jail time, suspended for five years, on condition that he does not commit a similar crime within that time.
Ernst says the Randfontein SAPS management is proud to have an investigator who shows such dedication and commitment when investigating her case dockets.
“She attended each court date and ensured that the necessary consultations took place to secure these sentences,” says Ernst.
“She is an asset to the investigation team at the Randfontein Detectives unit.”
