JUSTICE SERVED AS COMBINED 20 YEARS SENTENCE HANDED DOWN TO A 34 YEAR-OLD MALE ACCUSED CONVICTED FOR BUSINESS ROBBERY IN MALIPSDRIFT HEIST
POLOKWANE: Lebowakgomo Regional Court has sentenced Ntsiri Justice Mashiane aged 34 to 40 years imprisonment for his role in a violent business robbery that shook Malipsdrift community on 04 September 2022.
The accused was found guilty of robbery with aggravating circumstances, attempted murder, assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm, and malicious injury to property.
He was sentenced to 15 years for robbery, 15 years for attempted murder, 5 years for assault, and 5 years for malicious injury to property, with sentences on count 1 and 2 running concurrently and sentences in count 3 and 4 also running concurrently.
Ntsiri Justice Mashiane will effectively serve a combined 20-year prison term for these offenses.
The court heard that on 04 September 2022, Mashiane and his accomplices stormed into a Funeral Parlour in Malipsdrift, Sekhukhune District while attacking employees, shooting one man and robbing staff of their belongings.
Four women were also raped and six other male victims were severely assaulted during the ordeal. The gang made off with their belongings, cellphones, and a safe containing an undisclosed amount of cash, leaving the victims traumatized following the incident.
Mashiane was arrested in the first week of November 2022 by members of the Provincial Tracking Team and Provincial Investigation Unit in Mankweng policing area.
He was granted R3000 bail on 12 November 2022 by the court due to an illness. The docket was then transferred to Provincial Investigation Unit and allocated to Sergeant Leseka Mashamaite for further investigations.
He worked tirelessly to ensure Mashiane faced justice, and his dedication to the matter was evident in the investigation and presentation of evidence in court, which ultimately led to his conviction.
The Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe, welcomed the conviction, saying it sends a strong message to perpetrators that the police will leave no stone unturned in bringing them to book.
“As the police, we will remain committed to fighting crime and protecting communities, and this conviction is a testament to that commitment. The community of Malipsdrift and Sekhukhune District can now take comfort in knowing that justice has been served and the perpetrator will be behind bars for the next two decades, ” she concluded.
