Samuel Kere (37) has been found guilty recently by the Tembisa Magistrate’s Court and sentenced to 30 years direct imprisonment for committing malicious damage to properties and business robbery on different occasions.
On Sunday, December 23, 2018, the accused damaged other people’s properties while forcing to gain entry inside his ex-girlfriend’s room who refused to open the door for him at Lekaneng Section. In another incident, the following day at Umthambeka Section, Tembisa South, the accused committed business robbery where he took an undisclosed amount of cash and cellphones in one of the shops after he claimed to be one of the customers.
Ekurhuleni district commissioner Maj Gen Vincent Leshabane and the head of Ekurhuleni district detectives, Col Sello Sefoloshe, welcomed the conviction as the suspect is said to be one of the masterminds who were terrorising Tembisa.
According to Tembisa South SAPS station commander Col Nthipe Boloka, the accused’s victims were the foreign nationals-owned spaza shops, but most of them didn’t open cases because they were afraid of him and his group.
Capt Nelda Sekgobela, Ekurhuleni district communications officer, also said recently, another 31-year-old male suspect was arrested for possession of stolen property after he committed burglary at Seotloane Primary School and stole eight Samsung computer screens, three computer boxes, four ear phones and two laptops.
“Members also arrested four suspects for possession of drugs, six illegal shebeens closed, 374 vehicles searched, 816 people searched, six J534s to the value of R7 500 issued and 13 traffic fines to the value of R7 100 issued.” Members also patrolled four malls, three taxi ranks, 29 ATMs and conducted 21 group visits to the filling stations.
“On another ‘Operations O kae Molao’ last week, 145 SAPS members, including seven members from EMPD paraded at Phumlani Mall in order to ensure the safety of the citizens in Tembisa. The presence of our members will be felt by those who belong behind bars, while we will be occupying the streets to conduct road blocks, stop-and-searches, visiting liquor outlets and searching for drugs,” said Sekgobela.
