Witbank Trio Task Team is thrilled that justice is finally served after Steve Mabena was sentenced to 60 years of imprisonment for multiple counts of robberies.
This amount of sentence comes after he was found guilty in robberies he had committed in Die Heuwel, Zeekoewater and in Middelburg.
The 41-year-old was arrested for the robberies in Middelburg and Zeekoewater and got out on bail.
Whilst he was still out on bail in 2009, he and three other suspects committed a house robbery in Die Heuwel.
His bail was revoked and his counts multiplied when he was arrested for a robbery in 2016; at this point his trial for house robbery began.
In October 20, 2017, the verdict for the first count of robberies was guilty.
He was then sentenced to 45 years by the Middelburg Magistrate’s Court.
The continuity of the trial of the ‘Die Heuwel-house robbery’ followed and took place at the eMalahleni Magistrate’s Court.
On the night of the robbery in Die Heuwel on May 12, 2009, at around 23:30, Mabena and three other men gained access to what was then the Schoonraad residence in Die Heuwel.
The four men held the family of Mrs Danica Schoonraad (including her husband and Danica’s elderly parents) at gun point while they took everything they wanted.
They demanded jewelry, money, electric gadgets and the car.
According to a statement the family had given to the police, they alleged that the four men took their wedding rings, cell phones, microwave, laptop, some food in the fridge and necklaces.
They went around the house and saw that there was a safe.
They demanded the safe to be opened and took the firearm that was in the safe and a jewelry box with more jewelry inside of it.
Thereafter, the men demanded the keys to the car parked in the garage, which was a Toyota Conquest, and to know which remote is to be used to open and close the gate.
They loaded everything, then they got into the vehicle and drove off, leaving the family distraught.
Mabena was the only suspect that was caught and arrested for the crime in 2016.
July 5 this year was a day filled with joy as Mabena was sentenced to 15 years of imprisonment for the ‘Die Heuwel-house robbery.’
Mabena’s sentences amount to 60 years of imprisonment.
Both verdicts are not to be combined to form one sentence, therefore Mabena is expected to spend time in prison for each sentence.
The WITBANK NEWS tracked down the Schoonraad family for their comment on the outcome of Mabena’s trial.
It was then confirmed that the family moved to New Zealand a week ago.
“We are so glad that justice has been served, even though it took long. The man got what he deserved,” Ms Danicka Schoonraad said. She concluded: “We as a family immigrated to New Zealand and can only look forward to the future now, putting all the negativity in the past to rest. Here’s to new beginnings.”
Colonel Lieutenant Solly Thobejane of the Witbank Trio Task Team said that Mabena was the only one who was found and arrested for the Die Heuwel robbery.
He explained that though he was arrested in 2016, and his trial began the same year, it took time because he was on trial in Middelburg for the other robberies.
He encouraged the community to not lose patience with the justice system.
“People should not lose their patience with the police because at the end, justice will be served.”
He also forwarded his thanks: “We would like to thank the Department of Justice, the National Prosecuting Authorities (NPA) and the members of the Witbank Trio Task Team for their great efforts and hard work. It was a lengthy case because of Mabena’s multiple counts of his crimes.”
Hopefully, it will not end with Mabena.
More offenders need to be caught, judged and be given the punishment they deserve.
