Hefty sentence for ‘Black Friday’ robbers
'Both men were found in possession of semi-automatic pistols with ammunition'
Inkanyezi Regional Court on Monday convicted and sentenced two armed robbers to a combined 44 years in prison.
The sentence is in connection with the robbery of an eShowe store during Black Friday sales in 2019.
Dumisani Nkosi (34) and Siyanda Khumalo (35) were each sentenced to 15 years for business robbery, five years for illegal possession of a firearm without a licence, and two years for possession of ammunition.
The court heard that on 29 November 2019, the men entered a clothing shop near closing time, at 5.30pm, and pretended to be customers.
Shop employees had closed the door to prevent more customers from entering.
It was at this time that Nkosi and Khumalo pulled out firearms and forced the staff into the shop office where they were made to lie on the floor.
The robbers demanded the safe keys and took R98 000 in cash which they loaded into a bag.
During the robbery, 10 police officers stationed outside the shop sprung into action. One of the hostages was able to open the door for the police who apprehended the men.
Both men were found in possession of semi-automatic pistols with ammunition. The two firearms without serial numbers were recovered, and the cash returned to the store.
