Locals sentenced for life after murder

MBOMBELA – The Nelspruit High Court sentenced three men to life imprisonment for the murder of a mineworker who gave them a lift from Lydenburg to Burgersfort in 2010.

The three convicted criminals Mr Isaac Sebokuboku-Phala (33) from Ohrigstad, Calvin Tjatji (26) from Newstand in Leboeng, and Tshepo Seloane (26) from Mooihoek in the Greater Tubatse Municipality in Limpopo were all found guilty of the murder of Mr Madingwana Max Matlou.

The trio was also found guilty of armed robbery and was each sentenced to 15 years in prison.

Phala was also found guilty of the possession of a firearm and ammunition and was given three years for the third count and an extra year for possession of ammunition.

Their sentencing was handed over by Judge Mmonoa Teffo on December 12.

She said they were from Witbank and their intension was to hijack a vehicle and go back to Witbank. They started by hiking towards Pilgrim’s Rest and when it got late without finding a lift they then hiked towards Burgersfort where the victim’s vehicle stopped for Phala. When he pulled off near Skhila, Phala produced a firearm and ordered the deceased to stop.

“He stopped and tried to open the door to run away but Phala shot him while he was in his car,” said the judge.

The other two convicts who were hiding, came running after hearing the gunshot, they stopped the car, assisted Phala to pull the deceased from the car and left him in the middle of the road. They then drove towards Burgersfort.

They started looking for the victim’s cellphone which resulted in Tjatji, who was driving, losing control and rolling the car. The cellphone was later sold to a Cash Crusaders in Emalahleni where the shop owner helped police to get it from the customer who bought it.

“They had a 9mm firearm and their intension was to commit crime and then return to Witbank, and as a result they killed an innocent man,” said Teffo.

She added that the convict’s criminal record showed that Phala and Tjatji had previous criminal records. Phala was convicted of assault with the intent of causing grievous bodily harm in 2006 and he was convicted of trying to escape from lawful custody on January 10, 2013.

Tjatji was convicted of housebreaking, theft in 2004, and again in 2005.

The state prosecutor added that the accused showed no remorse throughout the court proceedings and maintained their innocence and therefore they are not candidates of rehabilitation.

“They were in custody for some time because they did not cooperate with police and no fault can be attributed to the state for their being in custody for so long,” It was also heard that they all acted in common purpose.

During their trial within a trial the convicts accused the investigating officer Const Ernest Vuma Mgwambi from Lydenburg and other police from Leboeng and Tubatse stations of assaulting them and forcing them to point out the scene of the crime and Teffo found that all the statements and the pointing out of the scene were made freely and voluntarily, without any undue prejudice.