Two robbers were recently found guilty and sentenced to jail time for robbing a house in the Makhasi area of Ekuvukeni in August last year.
It is alleged that three people entered the house, at least one of whom was armed with a firearm. The armed man, together with his accomplices, robbed the occupants of the house of cash as well as a television set, a DVD player, curtains and other property. The incident was reported to Ekuvukeni police, and Ekuvukeni Detective Services were tasked with the investigation.
Warrant Officer Thamsanqa Mthembu explored leads but was not successful in making an arrest. This did not deter him though and he kept on trying to gather information about the suspects. Just over a month later, he stumbled across vital information that saw him rushing to a premises in the Vaalkop area. There he interviewed a man and realised the man fitted the description of the person he was looking for. He placed the man under arrest. The suspect ‘needed company’ and offered to take the detective to the house where the stolen property was being kept. This was in the Rockcliff area.
In the house was a second suspect. The female suspect allowed the detectives to search the premises and under a blanket in a room, they found stolen items such as the television and DVD player. The woman was also placed under arrest and the stolen property was seized. At that stage, only R4815 in cash had not been recovered.
The third suspect had also been ‘picked up’ in the area where the crime had been committed. This was accomplished with the co-operation of the other two accused. Bail was opposed by the investigating officer. The court granted bail to the female accused and the other two remained in custody while the case docket was prepared for court. The suspects faced charges of house robbery.
The case was heard in the Dundee Regional Court on December 12 last year. 28-year-old Msawenkosi Nkosingiphile Ngwenya was found guilty and sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment, while 31-year-old co-accused Zamo Zamekile Hlongwane was sentenced to 12 months in jail wholly suspended for five years. The third suspect was acquitted during the hearings. The investigating officer welcomed the sentence and takes this opportunity to thank his colleagues for their assistance during the investigation.
