A man who was part of a group who broke into a grocery store in KwaZulu-Natal during last year’s unrest, has learned his fate and will have to spend the next couple of years in prison.

Njabulo Ncube was convicted of housebreaking with the intent to steal and theft. The sentence was handed down at the Durban Regional Court on Thursday.

The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson in KZN, Natasha Ramkisson-Kara, says Ncube and a group of others broke into a shop in the Umbilo area and stole groceries.

“They were arrested by members of the police who were passing by. In court, Ncube conceded that he had no means to compensate for the R27 000 damages or to pay a fine. He was thus sentenced accordingly,” she says.

The matter was successfully finalised by regional court prosecutors Kuveshni Pillay and Thami Njapha.

Earlier this month, the NPA confirmed that 45 people had been arrested in relation to last year’s unrest that claimed more than 350 lives and left a trail of destruction in KZN and parts of Gauteng.