The following cases were recently finalised in the Boksburg/Vosloorus Magistrate’s Court:
Theft
• On June 21, Patrick Meiseng Mdluli (38) from Jerusalem informal settlement was sentenced to three months’ imprisonment, wholly suspended for three years, on a charge of theft and was declared unfit to possess a firearm.
He pleaded guilty and was found guilty on May 17.
Mdluli stole gin to the value of R174.99 from Checkers Hyper on December 20, 2021.
In his plea he admitted he stole the alcohol, adding he was caught outside the store by a woman who monitors the CCTV cameras.
Mdluli was previously convicted for theft in 2009 and 2021.
• On June 21, a man from Freeway Park was sentenced to an R1 200 fine or three months’ imprisonment, suspended for three years for stealing, and was declared unfit to possess a firearm.
James Gareth van der Walt pleaded guilty and was found guilty on May 27.
On May 17, he stole two packs of tea, two chocolates and one date crunch to the value of R139.40 from a Sasol Garage in Boksburg.
Van der Walt has a string of previous convictions for theft, starting from 1995.
• On June 20, an 18-year-old woman from Etwatwa was sentenced to correctional supervision.
Silindile Lebohang Nkosi pleaded guilty and was found guilty on November 18, last year.
Nkosi was charged with theft after stealing groceries and other items to the value of R2 738.98 from Woolworths at the East Rand Mall on 29 August, last year.
In her plea, Nkosi said she concealed the items in a bag she was holding and then went through the exit door without paying for it.
“As I wanted to exit, the alarm system at the door went off. A security guard stopped me and asked to search me. He found the items in my bag and I was detained and arrested as I failed to produce a till slip,” read a part of her plea.
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Assault with the intent to cause grievous bodily harm
• Khomotso Kekana (25) from Kempton Park pleaded guilty and was sentenced on June 21 for assault with the intent to cause grievous bodily harm.
The charge stems from an incident on January 23 where Kekana assaulted a woman by pushing her against a gate in Boksburg, which caused a 2.5cm laceration on her head.
In his plea, he stated he shared a residence with the women at the time.
“She arrived home from work and started shouting and swearing because I did not sleep at home that particular day. I then decided to leave. She followed me and when I arrived at my parents’ house, I stopped at the gate. She had a brick in her hand. I then pushed her against the gate, which caused her injury on the head,” read a part of his plea.
Kekana was sentenced to three months in prison, wholly suspended for five years and declared unfit to possess a firearm.
Contravention of the Immigration Act
• On June 17, Eric Abuba Bisimwa Gamuhanya (42) was sent to 30 days’ direct imprisonment for being in the country illegally.
He pleaded guilty on June 6 and was found guilty on June 17.
On March 16, Gamuhanya, a citizen of the Democratic Republic of Congo, unlawfully entered and remained in South Africa without being in possession of a valid passport, valid permanent residence, or a valid visa by the Director-General of the Department of Home Affairs in terms of the provisions of the act, and not having entered the country at a designated port.
• On June 21, Cyprian Takudzwa (36) from Boksburg was sentenced to 10 days behind bars for being in the county without valid documentation.
The Zimbabwean citizen pleaded guilty on June 2 and was found guilty on June 6.
Takudzwa was arrested by the police, home affairs officials, metro police and NGO on April 29.
He came to South Africa on September 6, 2011, with a passport that has a visitor’s visa that expired on May 5, 2018.
• On June 20, Shonina Tatadzwa (43) was sentenced to 10 days imprisonment for being in contravention of Section 49 (1)(a) of the Immigration Act 13 of 2002.
The Zimbabwean citizen pleaded guilty, was found guilty and sentenced on June 20.
“On April 29 I was in Boksburg when I was stopped by a police officer who asked me to produce my travel documents. I failed to do so and was then arrested,” read a part of his plea.
Murder
On May 30, Casca Mukapu (34) from Somalia Park was sentenced to 15 years behind bars for stabbing a man to death.
He pleaded not guilty on May 23 and was found guilty on May 30. The charge stems from an incident where he killed a man in Somalia Park.
According to Dawn Park SAPS station commander Lieutenant Colonel Johannes Chairman Makubo, on arrival police found a male body with several stab wounds on the upper body. The man was certified dead by paramedics.
Makubo added a murder case was registered and assigned to Detective Sergeant Phelelani Mhlongo who investigated and arrested the suspect.
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