Online Reporter
SOME criminals spend months plotting the perfect robbery.
They imagine themselves walking away with expensive mobile phones and perhaps enough money to retire from their life of crime.
Then there is Sandile Ngwenya.
The 33-year-old Gwanda man has earned himself a place in the Hall of Criminal Infamy after what was supposed to be an armed robbery ended with a broken leg, head injuries, public humiliation and a 10-year prison sentence.
Ngwenya’s troubles began on the night of October 26 last year when he allegedly convinced himself that terrorising two unsuspecting residents in Mafuyana, Maphisa, would lead to instant riches.
Armed with an AK-SA ARMS AK20 9mm pistol and dressed in a black balaclava worthy of a low-budget action movie, the would-be robber positioned himself near the victims’ home and waited for them to return from the Mbeba Business Centre.
Around 10pm, the two men, aged 29 and 32, arrived home unaware that an expectant criminal was lurking in the shadows.
As they approached the back door, Ngwenya sprang into action, pointing the pistol at them and demanding cash and mobile phones before ordering them into the house.
Perhaps imagining himself as the star of a crime thriller, Ngwenya appeared convinced that the victims would obediently hand over their belongings and allow him to disappear into the night. Unfortunately for him, real life had other plans. One victim quietly slipped away to the other side of the house.
Instead of taking whatever he could get and fleeing, Ngwenya decided to go looking for him. It was at this point that his robbery script began to unravel. The remaining victim seized the opportunity and grabbed Ngwenya’s hand.
A fierce struggle followed, with the robber resorting to striking the victim on the forehead with the butt of the pistol. But matters soon became even worse. The second victim returned to assist his colleague. In desperation, Ngwenya turned the firearm on him and fired a shot, wounding him on the forehead.
The gunshot attracted neighbours, who rushed to the scene and joined the unfolding drama. What happened next transformed the armed robber into the chief casualty of his own crime. Instead of escaping with cash and phones, Ngwenya found himself overpowered by residents.
By the time the dust settled, he had sustained a broken right leg and head injuries.
The police arrived to find the failed criminal adventure in tatters.
Officers recovered the pistol, a magazine loaded with five live rounds, a black wallet containing a solitary US$1, a bus ticket and a Samsung Galaxy A03 cellphone.
Following his conviction on two counts of armed robbery, the Gwanda Magistrates’ Court handed Ngwenya an effective 10-year prison sentence.
For a man who set out looking for cash and valuables, it was arguably one of the worst investment decisions in recent criminal history.
