POLOKWANE – Letebele and his accomplice, Hosia Moagi (49) were each sentenced to eight years imprisonment without fine for kidnapping and were also charged with three counts of assault with grievous bodily harm.
Along with his accomplice, Letebele’s son, Neo Letebele (28) was also sentenced to five years in prison without fine for kidnapping.
The sentencings stem from an incident that occurred on 21 December 2014 in which the trio forcefully kidnapped three men, aged 25, 26 and 27-years-old respectively, from their homes in Sekororo, outside Tzaneen.
Police spokesperson Lt Col Moatshe Ngoepe says the trio accused the victims of being involved in a burglary at their business and took them to a farm where they were severely assaulted.
“They were later taken to the alleged burgled business and locked in a store room,” Ngoepe said.
Witnesses were alarmed the following day by the screaming emanating from the store room. When they opened the door, they found one of the victims already dead.
“The other two victims were severely injured and were taken to hospital for medical treatment. The police were notified and began with their initial investigations until all three accused were arrested,” he said.
Provincial Commissioner Lt. General Nneke Jimmy Ledwaba has applauded the team of detectives who were involved in the investigations of this incident, saying it shows the professional and dedicated performance by the police to communities in Limpopo in the fight against crime.
“We hope that this sentence will serve as a deterrent to all criminals for them to stop committing crime, otherwise, the long arm of the law will deal with them mercilessly and without compromise,” concluded Ledwaba.
