Hefty sentence meted out to two house robbers
The Nelspruit Police Station commander, Brig Prince Ngobeni, lauded the police for their efforts in tracking down the pair.
MBOMBELA – Two house robbers were sentenced in the Nelspruit Magistrate’s Court last Wednesday on charges of robbery. Meshack Bhekumuzi Shongwe (46) and David Maphanga (30) were sentenced to an effective 10 years in jail. Shongwe received an additional five years for an attempted rape charge and a further three years for a separate sexual assault incident.
The events leading to the house robbery were preceded by Shongwe entering his employer’s home in Uitkyk where he worked as a gardener on August 14, 2017 under the pretext of wanting to talk. He grabbed and kissed her, while making sexual advances. Shongwe was fired subsequent to the incident and a case of sexual assault was filed at the Nelspruit police station.
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On October 11 the same year Shongwe, accompanied by Maphanga, gained entry to the home of his former employer by jumping over a wall. The pair were armed with knives and proceeded to attack the domestic worker. They bound her hands with shoelaces and proceeded to search the house for valuables.
According to the court report, Shongwe dragged the domestic worker to the laundry room and stripped her of her clothing. Maphanga warned him that raping her would not bode well if they were apprehended, and the duo locked the worker in the room while ransacking the home.
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The two men made off with a camera, cellphones, a PlayStation, knives and sneakers before fleeing the scene. After the worker freed herself, she alerted neighbours and later filed a case of house robbery and attempted rape at the Nelspruit police station. A search for the pair was launched. Shongwe was arrested on October 24, 2017, and Maphanga was apprehended the following day. Both applied for bail, which was only granted to Maphanga.
Shongwe remained in custody for the duration of the trial.
The Nelspruit police station commander, Brig Prince Ngobeni, applauded the investigating officer for his efforts. “We cannot allow criminals to terrorise our community, especially women and children,” he said.
