Hijacker gang jailed for grant robberies
A GANG of hijackers who terrorised the Eastern Cape 10 years ago, hijacking cars and robbing social grant paypoints, were given effective life sentences by the Mthatha High Court this week.
Their areas of operation were rural areas in Tsolo and Qumbu.
The six men – Bonginkosi Nyengane, 34, Zolisa Vuwane, 39, Sithembiso Pakule, 37, Mfundo Malindi, 38, Mkhululi Mpusu, 43 and Mkhuseli Gada, 29 – were sentenced to life in jail for murder, 15 years for three counts of robbery with aggravating circumstances, 15 for attempted murder and 15 for illegal possession of firearms and ammunition.
The court ordered all the sentences to run concurrently with the life imprisonment term.
During their court appearances, the men would be under tight security overseen by specialised police officers.
Evidence presented in court is that the gang conspired to rob a grant paypoint serviced by Cash Paymaster Services, and that they needed to hijack a vehicle to execute the robbery.
On the night of June 7 2007 the gang ambushed school teacher Xolile Songca near Jojweni village in Tsolo. They shot and killed him and made off with his Toyota Hilux vehicle.
Armed with fully automatic rifles, the six men attacked a paypoint at Zimbeleni village in Qumbu the next day, June 8. After a shootout with security guards, they made off with R200 000, fleeing in the hijacked Hilux, but one of its tyres burst.
Wielding their rifles the men hijacked another Toyota Hilux from a motorist passing by and drove to a forest where they shared their loot.
During the trial, the group of criminals – five of whom were already serving sentences ranging between 18 years and life imprisonment for murder and robberies committed in the Western Cape, Mpumalanga and Free State – were linked to the Eastern Cape crimes by senior state advocate Mduduzi Mzila, through both confessions and eyewitness testimonies.
A trial-within-a-trial was conducted when the accused denied the confessions they made to the police when they were arrested, but the court ruled their confessions admissible.
Sentencing the gang, Judge Shylock Ndengezi said it was “clear that the accused had waged a war against society and never felt any sense of humanity towards any victims”.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) welcomed the sentence saying that it was sending a good message to the would-be criminals.
“It shows that criminals will be prosecuted and sentenced even if the crimes were committed a long time ago,’’ said NPA regional spokesman Luxolo Tyali.