POLOKWANE – The Limpopo High Court on Monday, 30 Septemeber, sentenced 30-year-old, Kgaugelo Moime to a total of 630 years imprisonment for his involvement in the Modikwa Platinum Mine bus bombing in April 2018.
Read more: BURGERSFORT: Bus bombing leaves six people burnt beyond recognition
Moime is one of four accused standing trial for the murder of six people who were burnt beyond recognition. He pleaded guilty to six counts of murder and 48 counts of attempted murder and was sentenced to 25 years imprisonment for each count of murder and 10 years imprisonment for each count of attempted murder.
His sentence emanates from an incident took place at the Driekop village outside Burgersfort on 2 April 2018 when fifty mine workers were travelling on a bus to the Modikwa Platinum Mine when it stopped at a bus stop to collect others. “Unknown suspects pretending to be mineworkers then got onto the bus and set it alight, using highly flammable liquids. The perpetrators then jumped out leaving the bus already engulfed in flames. Six workers were burnt beyond recognition and 28 people were seriously injured,” explained Police Spokesperson, Col Moatshe Ngoepe.
Read more: 28 miners taken to hospital for burn wounds following Burgersfort bus bombing
Police opened cases of murder, attempted murder and malicious damage to property and a high-level provincial investigation team was established to track down the killers. After two sleepless nights, five suspects aged between the ages of 21 and 30-years-old were nabbed at different locations. “The fifth suspect was released after he could not be positively linked to the incident,” Ngoepe said.
The case was allocated to Detective Sergeant Sydwell Mashele of the Provincial Investigation Unit. After thorough investigations by Mashele, the accused were all positively linked to the bombing which led to Moime’s sentencing.
“The remaining accused, Sipho Khumalo (29), Philemon Makwana (35) and Thabo Mokgala (29) will go on trial in April 2020,” Ngoepe’s statement read.
