Burgersfort bus bombing suspects get six life terms
The three men were given a life imprisonment term for every life that was taken in the Modikwa Platinum Mine bus bombing incident in April 2018.
The National Prosecuting Agency (NPA) welcomed the sentence handed down to the remaining three accused in the bombing of a Modikwa Platinum Mine bus in 2018.
Sipho Khumalo (29), Philemon Makwana (34) and Thabo Mokgala (28) were three of five men arrested for their involvement in the incident. The fifth suspect was released after he could not be positively linked to the incident, while the fourth accused, Kgaugelo Moime (30), was sentenced and jailed in September 2019.
On Tuesday the court found each guilty on six counts of murder, 47 counts of attempted murder and one count of malicious damage to property.
The conviction follows an incident on April 2, 2018 in the Driekop village outside Burgersfort. Malabi-Dzhangi explained that earlier in the day, the accused had agreed to burn the bus which transported Modikwa mine workers.
They proceeded to the Segweka bus station and stood behind the mine workers who were waiting to climb onto the bus. The four then got into the bus whereby Sipho poured petrol while Philemon set the bus alight. They then jumped out, leaving behind the bus engulfed in flames.
Of the 50 mine workers on the bus, four men and two women were burnt to death and 28 were seriously injured.
They reappeared yesterday in the Limpopo High Court for sentencing.
According to Mashudu Malabi-Dzhangi, the regional spokesperson for the Directors of Public Prosecutions (DPP) in Limpopo, state advocate George Sekhukhune asked the court to impose the prescribed minimum sentence as the accused showed no remorse and they carefully planned the crime and executed it.
“In aggravation of sentence, Sekhukhune led the evidence of one of the deceased’s wife, Mavis Mahlakwana who told the court that the body of the deceased was burnt beyond recognition and the deceased left behind his 12-day-old child and three siblings.”
He further mentioned that the accused killed six people in a horrific and gruesome manner by burning their bodies, she added.
All three defendants were sentenced to life term imprisonment on each count of murder as well as an additional 10 years on 47 counts of attempted murder and five years on the count of malicious damage to property.
The court ordered that 47 counts of attempted murder and the count of malicious damage to property will run concurrently with life imprisonment of the counts of murder, she concluded.
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