Hefty prison sentences for armed robbers
Three suspects aged between 32 and 47 appeared in the Mokopane Magistrate's Court today (Monday) for robbery with aggravating circumstances
LIMPOPO – Provincial police spokesperson, Col Ronel Otto, said it was alleged that Malose Jerry Matsetela (32), Raymond Malebogo Malefo (33) and Mputinyana Johannes Mmako (47) robbed nine boxes of assorted cigarette brands on the R101 road on 14 August, 2014.
The cigarettes were to the value of R150 000.
All three were sentenced to 15 years imprisonment for aggravated robbery and three three years for the unlawful possession of firearms. These two sentences will run concurrently. They are also not fit to possess the firearms
In another incident, the Sekgosese Magistrate’s Court on Friday sentenced Patrick Mothipa Monyela (36) from Polata village, Botlokwa to 45 years imprisonment for vehicle hijacking, armed robbery and possession of suspected stolen property.
“Monyela was involved in three incidents in 2014 where employees of a cigarette company, which delivered cigarettes to spaza shops, were robbed of their loads,” said Otto.
“The suspect would point them with a firearm, take their delivery vehicle and drive with the victims to an isolated spot in the bush where the cigarettes would be loaded into another vehicle.”
The suspect was arrested in November 2014 and never received bail during his hearings, she added.
The provincial police commissioner, Lt Genl Fannie Masemola welcomed the hefty sentences and said he hoped this would serve as a deterrent to would be robbers who thought they would never be arrested.
