Africa-Press – South-Africa. A Mpumalanga man has been sentenced to an effective 35 years’ imprisonment for a range of crimes, including murder, kidnapping and robbery.
Collen Zwelakhe Lukhele, 30, pleaded guilty to multiple charges and was sentenced in the Mpumalanga High Court sitting in Middelburg on Tuesday.
Lukhele and his two co-accused – Tumi Joseph Vuma and Fickson Hine – were arrested on two counts of murder; one count of kidnapping; three counts of robbery with aggravating circumstances; three counts of possession of unlicensed firearms; and one count of possession of unlicensed ammunition, said police spokesperson Brigadier Selvy Mohlala.
The court heard that the accused robbed a tavern owner in June 2018 and murdered two men during an apparent hijacking in August 2019.
“The court heard that Lukhele and his co-accused robbed the tavern owner of his licensed firearm in his residence in Wonderfontein on 25 June 2018, near Belfast,” said Mohlala.
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A year later, the accused were allegedly offered a lift by David Mthimunye, 40, who was driving his Toyota bakkie in the company of Thomas Sibiya, 28, after meeting at a tavern. The two men were kidnapped and shot several times while the car was stolen. The vehicle was later found torched.
Lukhele was handed a 125-year sentence, but the court ruled that some of the sentences should run concurrently, meaning he would serve an effective 35 years behind bars.
His two co-accused pleaded not guilty, and their trial would continue, said Mohlala.
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