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(Proceedings)
PHOTO: Gallo Images / Getty Images
Two thieves were punished with long prison terms for robbing a Jet store in Bizana, Eastern Cape, in May 2016.
The Bizana Court of First Instance sentenced Silungile Mabengu (27) and Nkosivumile Bhekisifo (33) on Friday on two counts of theft.
On the day of the robbery, four men entered the Jet store and pretended to be customers, Hawks spokesman Lwando Zenzile said.
Zenzile said:
A few minutes later, they accosted the store manager and other staff members, demanded the keys to the safe, and escaped. [with] R20 000 and mobile phones. Before disappearing, they forcibly dismantled the CCTV machine and locked everyone in the box.
No injuries were reported.
One of the four men was killed in an unrelated robbery incident in KwaZulu-Natal, Zenzile told News24. Another suspect remains at large. Mabengu and Bhekisifo were arrested in October and December, respectively.
“Both of them [men] They were released on a bond of R2,000 [and] the case was transferred to [the] Regional Court of Bizana for trial. Mabengu and Bhekisifo were eventually convicted and found guilty on two counts of theft, “Zenzile said.
Mabengu, the first offender, was sentenced to 15 years in prison and Bhekisifo was sentenced to 18 years.
The men were declared incapable of possessing firearms.
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