After months and months of ongoing investigation by the Trio Task Team from Witbank SAPS they have managed to place three suspects behind bars.
The Trio Task Team consists of Warrant Officer Patrick Malepe, Sergeant Eddie Rapakgadi and Warrant Officer Zero Masango.
Sergeant Rapakgadi worked on the case where two suspects were arrested for hi-jacking.
The two suspects Samson Nkomsi and Vincent Skhosana appeared in Witbank Magistrates Court and they both were found guilty.
Samson and Vincent both received eight years imprisonment for the crime they committed.
Warrant Officer Masango worked on the case of Leshilo Calvin who was arrested in 2013 for various crimes committed and he was sentenced to a total of 52 years imprisonment.
After appearing in court several times, Leshilo heard this fact for the last time before he was sentenced.
Leshilo was arrested for business robbery, house robbery and possession of a firearm without a licence.
As the magistrate laid down the sentences for the three various crimes, the time in jail just increased each time.
For the business robbery Leshilo was found guilty and sentenced to 22 years imprisonment.
Then the case of house robbery came up and he was sentenced to 12 years.
Finally the last sentenced was heard for him being in possession of a firearm without a licence and he was found guilty, sentenced to 18 years imprisonment.
A 12 years imprisonment was given to Siyabange Cele after Warrant Officer Malepe made a successful arrest and followed through with the investigation.
Siyabange was arrested in 2014 for burglary in a residential area, burglary at a residential property and possession of stolen property.
For the case of burglary in residential area he received six years imprisonment, burglary at residential property Siyabange was sentenced to three years imprisonment and for the possession of stolen property he was sentenced to three years imprisonment.
In 2012 Edward de Beer who was 19 years old at the time from Phalaborwa was found guilty on various crimes committed one was for murdering a metered taxi driver.
Since then the case has been ongoing but Warrant Officer Malepe never stopped fighting.
Edward was initially arrested in Phalaborwa on February 14 for being in possession of Peter Mpumelelo Mabuza’s Toyota Tazz, which had been reported stolen two days before.
Two days before his arrest his brother-in-law with whom Edward lived called the police after finding the house in disarray, traces of blood and the teenager missing.
Edward was initially arrested for being in possession of the vehicle.
He appeared in Witbank Magistrates court and was realized on R2000 bail.
Later on when the police realised that Mabuza was dead, Edward was rearrested on a charge of murder on February 23.
Mabuza’s body was found by the Lydenburg police wrapped in plastic, dumped about five kilometres outside of the town.
Edward remained in police custody until his next court case.
He was arrested for kidnapping, murder, theft of motor vehicle, use of motor vehicle without owners consent and defeating the ends of justice.
Edward was found guilty for robbery, murder, theft and defeating the ends of justice.
For robbery he received 15 years imprisonment, for murder Edward received life imprisonment, for theft he received three years and for defeating the ends of justice he received five years.
