Xolani Hlongwane hijacked a car in Vosman but before the sun set he was already behind bars.
As a result the 31-year-old man will be locked behind bars for 12 years.
He was sentenced on Tuesday, March 13 at Witbank Regional Court after being found guilty of robbery with aggravating circumstances.
To go back to the time the incident happened, a man parked his silver Volkswagen Polo Vivo outside the gate of Bonginsimbi Comprehensive School while chatting on the phone.
This happened on the evening of November 23, 2015 at Vosman.
The victim was approached by two suspects, one of the suspects being Hlongwane.
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Hlongwane was armed and threatened the man with a firearm, knocking on the door and instructing the driver to open the door.
The man then opened and he was ordered to go to the back seat of the car.
The three men (Hlongwane, second suspect and the man) drove towards the N12 highway.
They stopped at the bushes, tied the victim and left him there. Hlongwane and the other suspect drove away with the vehicle.
The man untied himself and got help from a car that was travelling on the highway.
The victim alighted at the Total Petroport N12 – North and to his surprise saw his car getting petrol.
As soon as Hlongwane and the second suspect saw the man, they sped off.
On the same day when the man was reporting the matter at the police station, police came in with Hlongwane and the victim was able to identify him as one of the suspects that hijacked his car.
The stolen Polo Vivo was found by Cyber Search tracking company.
The suspects were chased and only Hlongwane was apprehended, the other suspect ran away.
The vehicle was handed back to the victim in good condition.
As it stands the Central Business District (CBD) and drinking places are hotspot places for thieves, especially on Fridays and Saturdays, therefore motorists are advised to park in safe areas.
“Stop parking in isolated areas in the evening. Do not park your car at random places,” advised Lt Col Solly Thobejane.
With all these heavy sentences imposed on thieves in court lately, Witbank Cluster Commander, Major General Wilson Kekana gave a round of applause to one of the Witbank Trio Task Team members, investigating officer Sgt John Mahlangu for the wonderful work done on this case.
