Africa-Press – South-Africa. A Durban man was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment after he stole a truck during the July 2021 unrest.
The Durban Regional Court sentenced Nhlanhla Samkelo Mthembu, 31, after he pleaded guilty to the theft of a motor vehicle belonging to a Mobeni business.
In July 2021, during the unrest in KwaZulu-Natal, the complainant’s business property was looted and several business vehicles were taken – one of it a Toyota Hino truck, valued at around R350 000.
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In his plea statement, Mthembu said he and his friend had come across the people who had originally taken the vehicle from the premises – and they were having difficulty in driving the vehicle, said National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Natasha Kara.
“He and his friend assisted and drove the truck, heading towards the Esikhawini area, to avoid detection. When they got to Esikhawini, the other occupants jumped off the truck and fled, leaving him in the truck. Since the truck was fitted with a tracking device, Mthembu was arrested while in the truck,” she said.
Kara said that, in aggravation of sentence, the prosecutor, Vishalan Moodley, told the court the offence was serious, “particularly since it took place during the looting period, where there was a general sense of lawlessness”.
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