MBOMBELA – Three men of Acornhoek were sentenced to life in prison last Friday after they were found guilty on 14 counts of robbery, murder and attempted murder in the local Circuit High Court.
Ndala Lizzy Chiloane (34), George Mashaba (34) and Terry Respect Mokone (26) were sentenced for 25, 25 and 30 years respectively for three violent robberies during which three men were shot dead in February, 2012.
Their first victim, Mr Calvin Nkathy, was attacked along with Mr Foster Patrick Mafunyeka and Ms Lilly Zodwa Ndlovu on February 23, 2012. Mafunyeka testified that he had been working as a security guard with Ndlovu and Nkathy at the Rolle Railway station in Acornhoek when three men accosted them demanding cash and cellphones. They sprayed Mafunyeka with pepper spray, shot him in the leg and cuffed him to a structure in the guard room. Nkathy was shot dead and Ndlovu’s hands were tied behind her back. Mafunyeka managed to uncuff himself using an umbrella that had been lying in the room. He fled the scene and attempted to contact the police, but struggled to move due to his injury. The SAPS arrived at the scene and Mafunyeka was able to identify Chiloane as one of his attackers.
Read more on the case here: “I witnessed a murder,” security guard testifies.
On the same evening, Mr Lukeni Kenneth Nqulela was confronted by two of the accused in a cafe in the area. They escorted him into a room where Mr Josias Maphosa was tied up with belts. Two other men, Mr Believe and Mr Peaceful Simelane, were brought into the room. Peaceful was shot in the chest and died.
Mr Phanual Hlomula Chwane was killed two days later. Chiloane, Mashaba and Mokone stole R800 from him. They also stole his vehicle and killed him with a gunshot to the abdomen.
Chiloane, Mashaba and Mokone maintained that they were innocent throughout the trial. They also said policemen had forced them into admitting certain actions relevant to the charges against them. The judge, Mr Peter Mabuse still found the accused guilty as charged and sentenced them.
