Taxi driver sentenced 10 years of imprisonment for robbery
Ncabe and the man took the victim’s bags with clothes, some groceries and money they had with them
Taxis on the road serve a lot of uses and safety.
Commuters have avoided unsafe hitchhiking and make use of taxis because they are perceived as safer.
However, it raises a lot of safety issues when a taxi driver robs you of your belongings but it secures one’s heart when such people are caught.
Taxi driver, Daniel Ncabe (28), was recently sentenced to 10 years imprisonment on Wednesday, November 13 at the eMalahleni Regional Court for robbing two men of their belongings.
The robbery took place on Thursday, August 9, 2018 at around 22:00.
The two men were travelling from Maputo.
The men found Ncabe with another man in the taxi and Ncabe agreed to take them to their destination for R30 for both of them.
Allegedly, the taxi moved slowly after crossing the railway in the Central Business District (CBD).
One of the men alleged that Ncabe asked them to get out and help him push the vehicle. He then took out a firearm and the other man took out a knife.
Ncabe and the man took the victim’s bags with clothes, some groceries and money they had with them.
Ncabe and the other man drove away and left the two men to walk to MNS without their belongings.
The men went to the police station to report the robbery the next day, Friday, August 10.
As they were retelling the story to the officer, a taxi owner overheard them as he came to report that his taxi could be stolen.
The man figured that his taxi could have been used to commit the robbery.
Soon after the reporting, Ncabe returned the taxi to the owner with the bags of the two men inside the taxi.
The owner handed Ncabe to the police and the men got back their bags only.
The man who committed the robbery with Ncabe was not found.
Ncabe was denied bail after his arrest.
He was sentenced to three months for using the taxi without consent.
The sentence will run concurrently meaning the two sentences will be served at the same time, with the longest one controlling.
In combating the trio crimes namely house robberies, business robberies and vehicle hijacking, the Witbank Trio Task Team is proud that justice is being served to those who deserve it.
“We appreciate the taxi owner for working with the police and handing over the suspect as soon as he got hold of him. The taxi was for work and nothing else. We also appreciate the National Prosecuting Authority for their contribution,” said Witbank Trio Task Team Commander Lt-Col Solly Thobejane.
He added: “Taxi drivers are supposed to help the community, not to hurt them. Taking advantage of commuters who seek help from taxi drivers is not right.”
WITBANK NEWS tried to contact the victims of the robbery but they were not available before print.
