Malamulele 10 appear in court
The 10 suspects were linked to the robbery at the Malamulele Police Station and various ATM bombings committed in Limpopo and Mpumalanga.
LIMPOPO – 10 suspects linked to the Malamulele Police Station robbery and various ATM bombings in the provinces of Limpopo and Mpumalanga, have made their first court appearance.
Read more: Malamulele SAPS members held at gunpoint
Mashudu Malabi Dzhangi, the regional spokesperson for the Limpopo Director of Public Prosecutions, said the men face charges related to unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition, possession of explosives, conspiracy to commit crimes, attempted murder, robbery with aggravated circumstances, carjacking to attacks on police stations.
They have appeared in the different magistrates courts across Limpopo and Mpumalanga.
“Three of the accused, Godfrey Mabunda(41), Sello Simon Sedi (42) and Tumbu Gadron Makutu (48) appeared in Malamulele Magistrates’ Court today (Monday) on three counts of robbery with the intent to cause grievous bodily harm and the possession of unlicensed firearm and ammunition.”
The case was postponed to February 2 for further police investigations and “possible centralization of cases”.
Meanwhile, their seven co-accused, have since appeared in magistrate courts in the Giyani, Kgapane and Mpumalanga areas, respectively. The court outcome for these cases is not yet known.
Read more: Cops arrest 10 for Malamulele Police Station robbery
The ten suspects were arrested on January 19 during a joint SAPS operation conducted by a team of investigators that included Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, Crime Intelligence, the Limpopo Tracking Team and Provincial Investigations Unit.
According to earlier information, seven of the men were found at their hideout in Medinyeng village near Kgapane in the Bolobedu policing area. The remaining three suspects were arrested at a lodge in the Dwarsloop area outside Bushbuckridge in Mpumalanga after they police received information that these men intended to commit an ATM bombing in Mpumalanga.
Explosives, 11 firearms (some of the robbed SAPS firearms) and ammunition, bullet proof vests, illicit cigarettes, blasting cartridges, balaclavas and undisclosed amount of money and two vehicles were confiscated during these arrests.
Provincial police commissioner Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe reiterated that the suspects will face the full might of the law. “We will also ensure that the remaining suspects are apprehended and all stolen firearms recovered,” she concluded.
