Amidst heavy sentences, burglaries continue

Date: 18 October 2018 By: Jo Robinson

While a couple of burglars were granted free accommodation in the country’s correctional facilities by the Louis Trichardt Magistrate’s Court last week, others were trying their best to qualify for free accommodation as well.

On Sunday, 14 October at 23:05, two burglars broke into the Perfect Water shop at 33 Songozwi Street, Louis Trichardt. The shop is owned by Johan and Leana van Rooyen. Johan said that the burglars knew exactly what they were looking for and where to get it. While the alarm apparently did not register at the security company, it did go off at the shop, and the thieves, including one with a very distinctive tattoo, were caught on the shop’s closed-circuit television cameras. One of the thieves waited outside “on guard”, said Johan, with a weapon in hand, which he was clearly prepared to use.

The thieves forced the rear windows of the shop open and gained access that way. They then immediately made their way straight to where a cash sum of R17 000 had been locked up, bypassing a cellphone and a smaller amount of cash left on the shop counter.

Johan said that he had been away on Friday and that the cash had only been kept in the shop for that reason. Standard procedure was not to leave money there overnight, he continued. Investigations are currently being carried out by the security company responsible for the security and alarm system at the Perfect Water shop.

On a more positive note, two repeat offenders have finally been put behind bars.

The first, Nobert Mhlanga, was first charged in Louis Trichardt with breaking into the home of Chris Ferreira and his family on 31 December 2015. A scuffle ensued when the family walked in on Mhlanga. He failed to get away with the goods he tried to steal after being overpowered and restrained by Ferreira and his son. Shortly afterwards, the police arrived on the scene. While the police were questioning Mhlanga, he jumped up and managed to run away while still handcuffed.

Mhlanga was arrested once more on 17 March 2016 in Tshikota and also charged with breaking into the home of Magado Vincent Mulalo in Mampakuil on 7 February 2016. He allegedly stole a shotgun, ammunition, and a large sum of cash, among other items.

After a long process, judgment was passed against him, and he was found guilty on all charges, except the one of escaping arrest, of which he was acquitted. He was sentenced to a total of nine years in prison in the Louis Trichardt Magistrate’s Court on 9 October.

The second offender off the streets for now is Ncube Langton Mandoza Khosa, firstly charged with breaking into the house of George de Beer in Ruh Street in the late evening of 4 May 2017 and stealing a plasma television and a cellphone. Directly after that, in the early hours of 5 May, he broke into Chantelle van Heerden’s home at Kennington Lodge and made off with another plasma television, a laptop, a tablet, a cellphone, a hard drive and cash. Khosa then finished off his thieving spree by breaking into Delmarie Marais’s house in Mampakuil and stealing two butcher’s knives, a laptop, a bottle each of wine and vodka, and finally, some washing powder.

Khosa was subsequently arrested and, with judgements handed down in the Louis Trichardt Magistrate’s Court against him on 10 October, he received sentences of three, four, and two years respectively on each count of housebreaking, not to run concurrently. He will therefore serve a total of nine years in prison for his crimes.

Visit www.zoutpansberger.co.za for a short video clip of the Perfect Water burglary. Click here.

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Jo Robinson

Jo joined the Zoutpansberger and Limpopo Mirror in 2018 pursuing a career in journalism after many years of writing fiction and non-fiction for other sectors.

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