State urges life for ATM bombers

NINE ATM bombers, who had also killed a policeman, committed crimes with excessive brutality and it was utterly unnecessary for them to have resorted to the levels of violence that they did. These were the submissions made in the Pietermaritzburg High Court by advocate Dorian Paver who argued that the men be sentenced to life imprisonment for three murders.

They were charged on 31 counts and were convicted of 27, which included murder, robbery with aggravating circumstances, contravening the Explosives Act and causing an explosion, attempted murder, unlawful possession of explosives, semi-automatic weapons and ammunition. The four charges they were acquitted of were for malicious damage to property.

The crimes had taken place between September 2012 and January, 2013. The men, Thembela Ngubane, 27, Menziwe Mdakane, 28, Sifiso Mdakane, 32, Sifiso Khubeka, 28, Sibongiseni Msibi, 33, Sphelele Dubazane, 27, Muthikabani Buthelezi, 31, Mthenjwa Buthelezi, 27, and Lungisani Dladla, 32, will be sentenced today.

Crime spree

They stole more than R1 million during their crime spree. They all pleaded not guilty and did not testify in their defence.

Judge Yvonne Mbatha found that they formed a syndicate to target ATMs. They killed K9 unit constable Vidhur Jadoo in a shoot-out in Howick on November 7, 2012, and Sizwe Gule and Patricia Nkosi in Utrecht in December that year.

They were also responsible for bombing ATMs in Howick, Merrivale, Nottingham Road and Greytown. Eight were arrested in possession of 119 AK-47 rounds, three AK-47s, a .45 ACP pistol, explosives and electric detonators. Judge Mbatha said the State had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt, in the light of cellphone and DNA evidence, as well as the men being found in possession of firearms and explosives.

Cellphone evidence placed them at the scene of the crimes and linked them to each other. The firearms found in their possession were ballistically linked to all the ATM bombings.

Paver said nothing was placed on record to justify leniency.

“In my 35 years of being a prosecutor, I have never come across a more brutal gang,” he said.

sharika.regchand@inl.co.za