The Bethal Regional Court sentenced Sipho Hendry Mkhonza (46) and Mondli Haroon Madonsela (37) to 15 years imprisonment on August 23 for business robbery with aggravating circumstances.
The duo were also deemed unfit to possess a firearm. The court reached its decision to impose the sentence on Mkhonza and Madonsela after hearing details on how the duo was involved in a business robbery in January 2021 at a local coal mine.
According to Sergeant Thomas Mogadime, the Bethal SAPS spokesperson, the duo entered a mine in Bethal in a metallic grey Ford Ranger with no registration number, an orange light and stickers on its sides.
“They approached a security guard, pointed a firearm at him and demanded a panic button and his cellphone,” said Mogadime.
The duo tied up the security guard, forced him into the back of the vehicle and took him to the guard room.
“The security guard found three of his colleagues also tied up and under the watch of other suspects,” said Mogadime.
The accused stole three conveyor belts and other equipment valued at R780 000 and loaded it onto the truck.
The culprits left the mine with the truck, the stolen goods and the Ford Ranger.
Investigations revealed that more than four suspects were involved in this crime because others were in the truck to help load the conveyor belts. Police only managed to arrest two of them.
Detective Sergeant December Jele informed the court during the sentencing that in his investigation, he discovered that Mkhonza’s bank account was used to receive payment from the buyer of the conveyor belts based in Springs on September 23, 2020, and January 4, 2021.
The court also heard that the stolen conveyor belts were sold to the same company that previously delivered them to the coal mine with the same serial number.
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