Three former cash-in-transit (CIT) guards believed to be the ‘inside men’ for a cash-in-transit robbery in Pretoria in 2019 will spend 10 to 39 years behind bars for the crime.

The trio – while working for Fidelity – provided crucial information regarding the cash distribution vehicle’s movements to enable the cash-in-transit robbery in the north of Pretoria.

The former guards were positively linked to and found guilty of a cash-in-transit robbery at a Soshanguve mall on October 28, 2019, when they were accosted by 10 armed men while replenishing a Capitec Bank ATM at the Batho Plaza shopping centre.

Court documents show that R580 000 in cash was taken during the robbery.

The documents further detail how a guard in the Fidelity crew that replenished cash in the ATM was arrested after police received reliable information on his involvement in the robbery.

The getaway vehicle used during the robbery was  found near the home of the guard and confiscated by police.

Hawks spokesperson Captain Lloyd Ramovha said the guard received a 15-year sentence for his involvement in the CIT robbery.

“The Hawks’ Serious Organised Crime Investigation [Unit] on March 24 secured a 15-year imprisonment for the guard, Tebogo Abraham Leotlela (49), in the Soshanguve Magistrate’s Court.”

Leotlela was among a group of armed robbers who derailed Fidelity guards inside Batho Plaza in Soshanguve just after they had serviced a Capitec bank ATM cubicle.

“Follow-up investigation resulted in the arrest of Leotlela on October 30, 2019, [and] he has been in jail since as his numerous bail attempts were successfully opposed,” he said.

Other guards apprehended for the robbery are Jan Mafolo (32) and Paul Patrick Sekhalelo (42) and accomplices Ernest Lesiba alias Wire, now deceased, as well as July Mkhatswa (39).

Mafolo, Sekhaolelo and Makhatswa’s cases were finalised between February and March 2022.

“They elected to plead guilty and were sentenced to imprisonment ranging from 10 to 39 years.”

The Gauteng Hawks head, Major-General Ebrahim Kadwa, credited the investigator for the successful conviction and sentence.

“Tackling cash-in-transit robberies remains one of our top priorities in the province. We are intensifying operations to curb this scourge.

“The investigators should be proud that their efforts have ensured that such dangerous individuals have been removed from society,” said Kadwa.