NOORDWESTER – MOLOPO - Four accused appeared before the Molopo Magistrate’s Court in Mmabatho earlier this month, on a charge of robbery with aggravating circumstances.
Their court appearance follows an incident in which a 30-year-old victim was allegedly robbed of his belongings in the early hours of Sunday, 18 January, at Lonely Park Village outside Mahikeng. It is alleged that the victim was sleeping inside his Tata vehicle when he was approached by four males.
One of the suspects allegedly produced a knife and threatened the victim. The suspects took his belongings, including the vehicle keys and a cellular phone, before fleeing the scene.
After a short while, two of the suspects allegedly returned, prompting the victim to run into a nearby tavern to seek assistance. The suspects then allegedly drove off in the victim’s vehicle.
Police were informed and a case docket was registered at Mahikeng. While following up on leads, members of the Mahikeng Flying Squad recovered the vehicle the same day, at a house in Signal Hill Village. Furthermore, on Monday, 19 January, members of the Signal Hill community apprehended the suspects, who are allegedly believed to be linked to a spree of thefts from motor vehicles in the area.
During questioning and a search, a set of Tata vehicle keys was found in the possession of one of the suspects, who allegedly indicated that the keys belonged to a vehicle that has been hijacked at Lonely Park Village. Police subsequently recovered the stolen vehicle wheels, which had been sold.
The suspects, Vusumzi Mahaba (27), Barnabas Ngwenya (33), Katlego Mere (23), and Katlego Ditshipi (41), were remanded in custody until their court appearance on Wednesday, 28 January, for formal bail application. Investigations into the matter continue.
The Acting Provincial Commissioner of North West, Major General Dr Ryno Naidoo, welcomed the arrests, stating that this would help deter criminals from preying on law abiding citizens. He also expressed his appreciation to all role players and community members for their cooperation and urged them to continue working closely with the police and Community Police Forum (CPF) structures, while cautioning against taking the law into their own hands.
