TWO men who lured complainants through Facebook Marketplace by posing as prospective buyers or sellers of gaming consoles and computers were sentenced to 30 years imprisonment by the Pinetown Regional Court recently.

The multiple counts of robbery with aggravating circumstances were committed by  Siphesihle Magwaza (29) and Bukhosibakhe Ndledla (32) in the Auckland area of Mariannhill.

Natasha Ramkisson-Kara, National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) Regional Spokesperson – KZN Division, said the cases were committed between May and June 2024.

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She reported that the pair arranged meetings with the complainants and sent them a location pin for the rendezvous under the guise of purchasing or selling items.

“Upon arriving in the Mariannhill area, the complainants met Magwaza and Ndledla, who escorted them to an abandoned building where other perpetrators were waiting. The victims were then threatened with knives and firearms and robbed of their belongings.

“In some instances, the accused also gained access to the complainants’ banking applications on their cellphones and transferred funds from their accounts. The complainants were forced to delete their conversations with the accused and were released after being robbed of various items, including cash, cellphones, laptops, jewellery, gaming consoles, and other valuables,” said Ramkisson-Kara.

The accused were eventually arrested after one of the complainants shared the location pin provided by the accused with the police. Acting on the information, the police confronted the suspects and their accomplices. While some of the perpetrators escaped, Magwaza and Ndledla were apprehended.

In presenting the State’s case, Prosecutor Ehud-Jadon Francke led evidence relating to four identity parades during which the accused were positively identified by the complainants. Cellphone records further linked Ndledla to the offences as he had inserted his SIM card into one of the stolen cellphones. In addition, a lawful search of Magwaza’s property led to the recovery of various items belonging to the complainants.

In aggravation of sentence, the complainants testified about the devastating impact the offences had on their lives. Collectively, they described experiencing trauma and a lingering fear of others. They also told the court that they genuinely feared for their lives during the commission of the offences.

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Magwaza was convicted on five counts of robbery with aggravating circumstances and sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment on each count. Due to the court ordering some of the sentences to run concurrently, he will serve an effective sentence of 30 years’ imprisonment.

Ndledla was convicted on three counts of robbery with aggravating circumstances and sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment on each count. As two of the sentences will run concurrently, he will likewise serve an effective sentence of 30 years’ direct imprisonment.

Both accused were declared unfit to possess a firearm.

In welcoming the sentence, the NPA urged the public to exercise caution and remain vigilant when buying or selling items through social media platforms. 

“We trust that sentences of this nature will serve as a deterrent to like-minded offenders and reinforce the message that crime will not be tolerated and perpetrators will be held accountable for their actions.”

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