10 Feb 2015

Magistrate Molema Molema of Kasane today (February 10) sentenced Richard Zisusa to three years imprisonment, with 18 months suspended for possession of a stolen vehicle.

The particulars of the offence were that, Zisusa from Zimbabwe was found in possession of a Land Rover Discovery vehicle, which was confirmed to have been reported stolen in South Africa.

He was arrested while trying to cross the border at Kazungula ferry on January 7.  When delivering the sentence, Mr Molema said Zisusa’s suspended sentence would stand for a period of three years, provided the accused person was not convicted of a similar offence.

He said the sentence was backdated to the time when the accused person was first incarcerated.

Magistrate Molema said he took cognisance of the fact that the accused was a bread winner, pleaded guilty therefore saving the court time, cooperated with the police and relevant authorities, showed remorse and realised his mistake and did not benefit anything from the proceeds of the crime.

On one hand, the magistrate noted that being found with stolen goods was a criminal offence, adding that the value of the property in question also increased the seriousness of the crime.

“Cross border crime cannot be taken lightly especially because of the prevalence rate of several similar cases, therefore, we must issue a deterrent sentence to deter would-be criminals from committing such offenses,” he said.

He added that as the courts, they must be seen to be doing something to protect the society noting that there must be balance between protecting the interests of the accused and the interests of the society at large.

He notified the accused person of his right to appeal to the High court within 14 days if he wishes to and concluded that the vehicle shall be returned to its lawful owner. ENDS