Online Reporter
Online Reporter
FOUR Zimbabwean nationals have been handed life imprisonment terms for killing a soldier and his friend in the Masakeng Section, Oukasie in South Africa before robbing him of his gun sometime in 2022.
High Court Judge Justice Francis-Subbiah Cathbert Ndlovu Malatjila (22), Talent Moyo (31), James Muzora (26) and Luckson Simbarashe Ruchapu (28) were jailed for killing South African National Defense Force (SANDF) member Joel Karabo Sekano and his friend Edward Karabo Dire.
The quartet were sentenced an additional 15 years on four counts of robbery in aggravating circumstances.
They were also sentenced to five years each for separately attempting to kill another three people.
Malatjila, Muzora and Moyo were separately sentenced to 25 years for two counts of unlawful possession of unlicensed firearms with another 12 months each for two counts of unlawful possession of ammunition.
Malatjila, Ruchapu and Muzora were further sentenced to 12 months in jail each for illegally staying in South Africa.
All the sentences will run concurrently with their life sentences.
Prosecutor Mr Michael Shivuri told the court that on the evening of June 16, 2022, Sekano and his friend were standing outside his residence in Masakeng Section, Oukasie, when the four approached them.
They then robbed the duo of their cell phones and wallets.
The court heard that the four fatally shot Sekano and hit his friend on the head with a firearm, rendering him unconscious.
After regaining consciousness, Sekano’s friend alerted his mother and was rushed to the hospital, where he was declared dead on arrival.
Later that evening, the quartet robbed five men who were sitting outside a house in Phase 2, Oukasie.
On June 17, 2022, the gang robbed another family of cash and cellphones before escaping.
Two family members later tracked them and found Malatjila and Muzora at a nearby tavern.
When confronted, the two opened fire while inside the tavern, injuring four people.
Peter Tanyanyiwa