The National Prosecuting Authority welcomes the sentence of a former McDonald employee, Clement Othusitse Seothaeng (27), originally from Pampierstad in Northern Cape Province who was sentenced by the Pretoria North Magistrates’ Court to 10 years direct imprisonment for extortion and malicious property damage. He was given 10 years for extortion and 5 years for malicious damages to property.
Bellville, Western Cape: Two police officers have been found guilty and fined R30 000 or sentenced to three years of direct imprisonment after they attempted to extort money from a complainant who they accused of engaging in an indecent act with a minor. The Bellville Commercial Crimes Court sentenced Warrant Officer Steven Jacobs and Constable Denzil Keith Abrahams after convicting them on a charge of attempted extortion.
Sandile Vaaibooi (34) from Barkly West, appeared at the Delpoortshoop Magistrate Court on two counts of murder. It is alleged that on 18 March 2022, the accused forcefully entered the home of Patrick Vaaibooi and Angelina Kgatlane, and upon entering their home, the accused began attacking them and killed both.
The High Court of South Africa: Eastern Cape Division, Mthatha, sitting in Mbizana, sentenced Mzoxolo Mpanda (27) and Mluleki Maricela (35), to life imprisonment for the murder of a 79-year-old granny. The deceased, Ntombizodwa Kekela, was killed because her neighbour believed she was practising witchcraft. Mhlanyukwa Msongelwa (60) paid Mpinda and Madikizela, as well as their accomplice Nathi Njilo (23), an amount of R250 000 and a cow to have the grandmother killed.
Today the Free State High Court dismissed all of the accused’s interlocutory applications in the asbestos matter with costs.
The NPA welcomes the judgment and will now focus on ensuring that the pretrial conference is concluded on the next court date so that a trial date can be arranged. We have always maintained that all the matters raised by the accused should be ventilated by the trial court when the trial proceedings commence. The NPA has full confidence in the strength of its case and will let the evidence speak for itself during the trial.
The Zeerust Regional Court sentenced Kealeboga Coldridge Mongae(47), to six (6) years of direct imprisonment for defrauding the Ramotshere Moiloa Local Municipality a sum of over R1milliion. Mongae’s conviction emanates from an incident on 16 May 2012, whereby he collected two cheques from the municipality for a service he did not render.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) made a significant breakthrough this week in the ongoing effort to end impunity for high-level corruption. The preservation orders in the Optimum Coal Mine case are a demonstration that the wheels of justice in relation to complex crime are starting to turn in meaningful ways.
The Durban High Court sentenced McWayne Marimuthu (30), to 20 years imprisonment after he pleaded guilty to murdering his wife, Roxanne Thanthoni in March 2020 in Tongaat. Marimuthu also pleaded guilty to three counts of assault and was sentenced to three months imprisonment for each count, these will run concurrently with the 20-year sentence. In his plea, Marimuthu stated that he suffered from substance abuse. He met Thanthoni at a church function in 2018, and they got married in December 2019.
The former Umkhonto Wesizwe and Military Veterans member, Hevy Sidney Khumalo (54), from White River made his second brief appearance in the Nelspruit Magistrates` Court earlier today on charges of arson and attempted murder. During his first appearance on 18 March 2022, the accused wanted to conduct his defence and later changed his mind and elected the services of a legal aid attorney and the bail application proceeded.