On May 9, two people stood trial for separate theft cases. In January a shoplifter was caught trying to walk out of a shop wearing several layers of guess jeans worth R3700.
The security guard at the Edgars store in the central business district (CBD) noticed the suspicious man trying to leave the store and confronted him. He was officially arrested by the Witbank SAPS later that day. The accused Ayanda Gaqa was found guilty and sentenced to pay a R5000 fine or spend eight months in prison, with the sentence being suspended for five years. Gaqa was however declared unfit to posses a firearm.
This means that if he gets convicted of the same crime in the next five years, the penalty for that crime as well as the sentence for this will be applied.
The other shoplifting case occurred in April at a garage when the accused apparently tried to steal several cans of Play energy drink. His case appeared in D court on May 9 as well.
A robbery case was also handled where two suspects where arrested for aggravated robbery in February and then they appeared in court on
May 8.
