CONVENIENT STORE ROBBERS SENTENCED
The Pretoria High Court has sentenced seven convenience store robbers, Advice Shaku (22), Thibetso Phale Mashabela (26) Fix Lebotsa (56), Thapelo Mphahlele (33), Tebatso Mangope (28) and Cyril Sekele (26) to 135 years imprisonment collectively, for robbing stores in and around Pretoria. The 7 were given separate sentences ranging between 15 to 25 years each. This is after they were convicted of robbery with aggravating circumstances, attempted murder, and possession of an unlawful firearm collectively. Mashabela was further convicted of possession of ammunition
The men used the same modus operandi to rob the stores where they would enter a store and pretend to buy and rob it. They committed these offences from 26 September to 24 November 2018, until they were arrested in Mamelodi after their last robbery. They robbed six Engen filling stations, two Total filling stations, Kentucky Fried Chicken, and a Debonair Pizza outlet as well as one Sasol, Shell Caltex, and MBT filling station. Sithole and Seleke were only remanded in custody after they were convicted on 04 August 2022, however, the rest of the five have been in custody since their arrest in 2018. In court, they pleaded not guilty to the charges preferred against them.
In aggravation Adv. Molatlhwa Mashuga told the court that the seven acted as a group when committing the offences. When committing these offences, they all had income and as such, they acted out of greed not out of need. The victims were traumatised and even opted not to participate in the ID parade for fear of the accused. He, therefore, asked the court to impose a deterrent sentence.
