FIVE ACCUSED SLAMMED WITH A WHOOPING 545 YEARS IMPRISONMENT FOR VIOLENT CRIMES
WESTERN CAPE: The Provincial Head of the Hawks in Western Cape, Major General Makgato has commended the collaborative work between the members of the National Priority Violent Crime, Worcester Visible Policing, Crime Intelligence, Local Criminal Record Centre and the National Prosecuting Authority after five men were handed hefty sentences by the Worcester Regional Court.
On 15 July 2024 the court sentenced accused 1:Phikolomzi Mpafa(29), accused 2 :Wiseman Tulisile Tshelana (49), accused 3: Bongani Ngubo (37), accused 4: Phello Hugh Monyake (49) and accused 5: Eliah Mzolisi Mpiti (54) to a whopping 545 years imprisonment for robbery with aggravating circumstances, attempted murder, possession of prohibited firearms, possession of unlicensed firearms and possession of ammunition.
The sentences were handed down as follows:
Accused 1 to 5 on counts 1 to 5: Robbery with aggravating circumstances sentenced to fifteen(15) years imprisonment on each count.
Count 6: not guilty
Counts 7 to 12: five(5) years imprisonment on each count.
Counts 13 to 17: not guilty
In total accused 1,2 and 4 were sentenced to 105 years imprisonment each, accused 3 was sentenced to 120 years imprisonment and accused 5 was sentenced to 110 years imprisonment.
In terms of Section 280 (2) of the Criminal Procedure Act, Act 51 of 1977, the court ordered that the sentences imposed run concurrently.
Effectively each accused will serve 15 years direct imprisonment.
The sentences imposed stems from May 2018 when approximately ten suspects entered the premises at Italian Liquor Store, Zwelethemba in Worcester. They forced the staff to open the safe and robbed cash to the amount for R30 000 at gunpoint. Subsequently, the same suspects forced the guards of Fidelity Cash Solution to open the armoured vehicle but they were unsuccessful. In the process, they managed to disarm the crewman of his service pistol and fled the scene in a Toyota Quantum minibus. When they were cornered by police, there was an exchange of gunfire which resulted in three suspects being wounded and two arrested. Two AK47 rifles, Uzzi rifle and two pistols were recovered of which one belonged to the crewman. The cash amount of R30 000.00 was also recovered.
