THREE ACCUSED MEN WERE SENTENCED TO 143 YEARS IMPRISONMENT EACH

THREE ACCUSED MEN WERE SENTENCED TO 143 YEARS IMPRISONMENT EACH

LIMPOPO: Three accused men, Malemela Erick Makwala (49), Mcezi Gonody Mashele (38) and Lucas Kotoane Maabane (42) appeared in the Tzaneen Regional Court and sentenced to 143 years imprisonment each on 13 June 2025.

The accused were convicted on charges relating to ATM blast including, Robbery with aggravating circumstances, attempted theft, malicious damage to property, possession of prohibited firearm, possession of unlicensed firearms, possession of ammunitions, attempted murder, and possession of explosives on 28 May 2025 and the matter was postponed for sentencing.

In the early morning of 15 October 2017, a group of men blasted two ATMs, FNB and Capitec, with explosives Letsitele town in Mopani District.

They took an undisclosed amount of cash and drove off from the crime scene with Toyota Yaris and Ford Focus.

The accused also shot at the vehicle of the armed response security officials who responded to the scene. Police were summoned to the crime scene for assistance. A case docked was opened at Letsitele SAPS and handed to the Polokwane based Hawks Serious Organised Crime Investigation Unit (SOCIU) for further investigations.

The accused were arrested at Polokwane on 16 October 2017, the day after the commission of crime. During arrest, the police recovered two pistols, one rifle, ammunition and explosives.

The recovered firearms were taken to ballistic. The ballistic report revealed that those firearms were used to shoot the vehicle of the security officials responded to the scene.

After several court appearances, they were released on bail. The case was handled with care until the trio were convicted and sentenced as follows:

Count 1: attempted theft: 8 years imprisonment.

Count 3: Robbery with aggravating circumstances: 15 years imprisonment.

Count 5: Possession of prohibited firearm: 15 years imprisonment.

Count 6: Possession of firearm: 15 years imprisonment

Count 9: Possession of explosives: 15 years imprisonment.

Count 10: Possession of firearm 15 years imprisonment.

Count 11: Possession of Firearm: 15 years imprisonment.

Count 13: Possession of a prohibited firearm: 15 years imprisonment.

Count 15: Possession of Explosives, 15 years imprisonment.

Count 7 and 14 : Possession of ammunition: 5 years imprisonment each.

Count 8: Attempted murder: 10 years imprisonment.

They were not convicted on count 2 and count 4 being both malicious damage to properties.

Each convict was sentenced to a combined 143 years imprisonment.

All the convicts were declared unfit to possess firearms.

The Provincial Head of the Hawks in Limpopo Province Major General Gopz Govender commended the investigating officer for the meritorious investigations displayed in case.

” This is a brilliant and highly commendable investigation work conducted. You are pure role model and an asset within Limpopo DPCI. Your caliber is a rare commodity in these days. Well done, my Colonel, ” concluded Major General Gopz Govender.