Court rebukes youngsters for terrorising communities
SOUTH African youth are terrorising communities with impunity.
These were the words of Itsoseng Magistrate’s Court Thabo Lephadi while sentencing three men accused of robbery with aggravating circumstances and possession of a firearm.
“It is the youth who always commit these heinous crimes in the community… as if they have an impunity to do so,” Lephadi said.
Tshepiso Ngakantsi, 24, Isaac Lekoala, 31, and their accomplice Felix Mashala, 41, robbed a tuck shop in Mooifontein in September 2014. According to court documents, five suspects arrived at the shop around 9am.
Lekoala, remained in the car while the others went inside the shop, pointed a gun at the shop assistant, tied him up and stole R17 000 in cash and cigarettes.
Before the robbers could escape, the owner of the shop arrived and alerted members of the community who then attacked the suspects and tied them up before calling the police.
One suspect fled with most of the cash, while a second suspect died in hospital after suffering severe injuries.
Delivering his sentence, Lephadi said robbery was a serious offence.
“It gets more serious where a firearm was used. In this case accused number two [Mashala] pointed a gun at people… The community must have confidence in the justice system and that can be achieved if the offenders are given appropriate sentences.
“Members of the community have got the right to move freely without any fear of being attacked.” Lephadi said the three accused did not show remorse.
Mashala was sentenced to 15 years for robbery with aggravating circumstance and two years for possession of an illegal firearm.
Ngakantsi got 12 years for the same robbery charge, while Lekoala was sentenced to six years for being an accessory to the crimes.