The South African Police Service in this Province is still determined to deal with incidents of mob-attacks and killings head-on and without compromise as it continue to affect negatively the hard earned spirit of Community Policing.
This determination by the Police was proven as the Police in Hoedspruit outside Phalaborwa joyfully welcomed the convictions and long jail terms given by the Polokwane High Court on four men believed to be relatives to a consolidated jail terms of 37 years imprisonment for various serious crimes that occurred at Bochabelo village in the Hoedspruit policing area.
The accused were categorically sentenced as follows:
* Jacky Mokhari Magabe to six (06) months imprisonment or R5000-00 fine for assault GBH and to a further six (06) months imprisonment or R5000-00 fine for Kidnapping.
The three (03) other accused were each given 12 years imprisonment without the option of fine for murder and kidnapping and they are as follows:
* Steve Semakaleng Magabe aged 35.
* Shiga Golden Magabe aged 35.
* Chico Magabe aged 27.
On 2016-10-26, there was a funeral at Magabe’s family, everybody from this family went for the night vigil and later during the night, they mobilized and attacked a man accused of burglary incidents and subsequently, kidnaped him and went away. He was later brought back to his home with serious injuries.
This mob further took the victim again to a certain house and he was then forced to hang himself with a rope from the roof of that house. Out of fear and torture, he complied with their instruction and he died while hanging.
The Police were summoned and started with their initial investigations which resulted in the apprehension of four (04) accused on charges of murder.
The Saps Limpopo Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant General Nneke Ledwaba has applauded the SAPS Hoedspruit Detectives for their sterling investigative efforts. This will be a lesson to other community members that they must stop these barbaric acts of taking the law into their own hands as the long arm of the Law will catch on them, concluded General Ledwaba.
Source: South African Police Service