The court found that the kidnappers – who had been remanded in custody since their arrest – showed no remorse for their actions.
The Pretoria North Magistrate’s Court in Gauteng has sentenced two men to 15 years’ direct imprisonment each for robbing and kidnapping an e-hailing driver.
Victor Junior Sebata, 35, and Kagiso Patrick Mthimunye, 31, were handed down fifteen years for robbery with aggravating circumstances and five years for the kidnapping charge.
Presiding magistrate Piet Nel ordered that the sentences run concurrently, resulting in the effective 15-year terms.
Nel also declared them unfit to possess firearms.
Ride-turned-kidnapping
National Prosecuting Authority regional spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana said the crimes occurred on 7 October 2022, when the unnamed 34-year-old driver accepted a request from Propaganda nightclub in Pretoria Central to Silverton.
“Upon arrival at the drop-off point, the victim was approached by Sebata and Mthimunye, who pointed a firearm at him, robbed him of his belongings, and forced him into the boot of his vehicle,” Mahanjana said on Friday.
Sebata and Mthimunye then drove the e-hailing vehicle to Mamelodi, a township not too far from Silverton.
The pair then removed the driver from the boot, tied him up, and transferred him into another vehicle.
ALSO READ: Kidnapped man rescued on highway after police spot ‘suspicious’ Golf 7
They drove to Bapsfontein in Ekhurhuleni, where they abandoned him in a bush.
“The victim managed to untie his feet, walked towards the road, and came across a police vehicle that took him to a police station in the nearby area,” Mahanjana said.
Acting on an alert from a vehicle tracking company, a security company arrested Sebata and Mthimunye the following day.
They were denied bail and have remained in custody since their arrest.
Defence plea rejected
In court, they both pleaded not guilty, claiming they were asked by an unnamed individual to deliver the vehicle to someone else.
Mahanjana said prosecutor Hanlie Du Preez led compelling evidence that proved their guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
She said the defence argued for leniency during sentencing, citing that Sebata and Mthimunye were first-time offenders and had been in custody for three years.
ALSO READ: Judge orders man to be released after wife’s ‘improbable’ rape and kidnapping accusations
“Du Preez countered that the men showed no remorse, committed serious and violent offences, and caused significant trauma to the victim, who was unable to return to work as an e-hailing driver for an extended period.”
“She urged the court not to deviate from the prescribed minimum sentence, as there were no substantial and compelling circumstances to justify such deviation.”
Court finds no reason for leniency
Delivering judgment, Nel agreed with the state and noted that both men showed no remorse.
He said while the victim did not sustain serious physical injuries and managed to recover his vehicle, it does not take away from the fact that robbery is a violent and serious crime.
“Society expects the court to send a message that such offences will not be tolerated and that offenders must be removed from communities to ensure public safety,” Nel said.
He found no substantial and compelling circumstances to deviate from imposing the prescribed minimum sentences.
The acting Director of Public Prosecutions in Gauteng, advocate Marika Jansen van Vuuren, said: “This case highlights the dedicated efforts of law enforcement and prosecutorial teams in holding violent offenders accountable.”
NOW READ: Kidnapping crisis deepens as copycat syndicates target all walks of life
