07 Jan 2014

Molepolole Magistrate Court, on January 6, sentenced a 24-year-old Zimbabwean, Khumbulani Nkomo to six years imprisonment for two charges of breaking and stealing property worth more than P39 500 belonging to Mr Kerwin January.

Nkomo, who pleaded guilty to the charges, had two and a half years wholly suspended. In his mitigation, Nkomo who represented himself, pleaded with the court to be considerate when delivering sentence because he was the sole breadwinner for his family and that he had not paid rent since he was remanded in custody.

Nkomo asked the court to release his other co-accused: Themba Dube and Siphamandla Ndlovu, both aged 23, because he committed the offence alone.

Senior Magistrate William Modise said when delivering the sentence that he considered the fact that the accused was a first offender. For the first count, the senior magistrate sentenced Nkomo to three years, wholly suspending 18 months. For the second count, Nkomo earned a three-year jail term and 12 months suspended.

The prosecutor, Sub Inspector Mshingo Kedikanetswe of Thamaga Police Station, told the court that Nkomo, Dube and Ndlovu broke into Mr January’s storeroom on December 23, at Kumakwane in the Kweneng District and stole a red/black Banjo electric water pump worth P9 500.

Mr Kedikanetswe said Nkomo and his co-accused, returned two days later to break into Mr January’s storeroom again and stole a yellow Robin water pump labeled worth P20 000, a red Spheng generator worth P5 000, a yellow Tanco welding machine worth P3 500, black truck battery worth P1 200 and a Humson speaker that had unknown value. Nkomo was once Mr January’s employee.

The prosecution said the three accused persons took the stolen goods to the residence of one Shimbarashe Marange in Kumakwane, and that Marange gave the men P800 and kept the loot.

Ndlovu was arrested when he came to deliver the news about the second round of stolen goods while Dube fled the scene to Nkoyaphiri ward in Mogoditshane and on the way he dumped the water pump that was later found by a passerby. However, Mogoditshane police arrested Dube and recovered some of the stolen goods from Ndlovu’s place.

Mr Kedikanetswe said all the goods, except the truck battery, were recovered. The trial of Ndlovu and Dube, who claimed alibi, will take place on April 14 and 15. ENDS