Harrismith – Two men were sentenced to 10 years imprisonment for armed robbery with aggravated circumstances by the Harrismith regional court, on Wednesday, police said.
Police spokesperson Sergeant Mmako Mophiring said Tobias Mahae, 27, and Njabuliso Khumalo, 28, from Umlazi near Durban, men were sentenced for a truck hijacking that occurred on 30 August 2012 outside Warden in the Free State.
“The truck driver was asleep at the truck stop outside Warden when he was surprised by three armed men pointing at him with firearms. They fastened him with shoe laces and drove off with the truck and its cargo on the N3 towards to Gauteng Province,” Mophiring said.
Mophiring said the truck driver was dropped off on a bridge in the area of Warden and the suspects continued with their journey.
“The truck was fortunately tracked and stopped at De Hoek toll Plaza after Heidelberg police were informed of hijacking.”
The police found three suspects but one of them managed to flee, but the other two were arrested at De Hoek Toll plaza near Heidelberg on 31 August 2012.
The truck with its original cargo and a firearm was recovered.
The two men who had been in custody since their arrests were sentenced to an effective 10 years imprisonment and also declared unfit to possess firearms.
Free State Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant General Thabethe Mpembe, said: “We want to congratulate everyone who was directly and indirectly involved in the successful arrest which let to convictions of the accused in this case. The message is clear that no crime will be committed without perpetrators punished. It is in the interest of the community that every person doing wrong should face the full arms of the law.”
ANA