The De Aar regional court has sentenced former police constable Thanduxolo Kwindla to an effective eight years of direct imprisonment after convicting him on four counts of housebreaking with intent to steal and theft.
Kwindla, 38, who resigned from the police shortly before committing the offences, carried out the housebreakings between August 2021 and April 2023 in Nonzwakazi location, where he lived.
His modus operandi involved breaking into homes during the evening and stealing valuable items to support his drug addiction. The stolen goods were worth about R35,000, said Northern Cape NPA spokesperson Mojalefa Senokoatsane.
Kwindla was arrested in April 2023 and remained in custody until the finalisation of the matter.
In aggravation of sentence, prosecutor Xolisa March emphasised the seriousness and prevalence of housebreaking and theft in the area. She argued that as a former officer of the law, the accused had betrayed public trust and acted with full awareness of the unlawfulness of his actions. The court also considered two victim impact statements, facilitated by court preparation officer Trott Manghana, which outlined the emotional and financial toll on the victims.
In delivering the sentence, the court acknowledged Kwindla’s circumstances but stressed the severity of his crimes and their impact on both victims and the broader community. He was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment on each count, with the court ordering that, in terms of section 280 of the Criminal Procedure Act, the sentences run concurrently, amounting to an effective eight-year sentence.
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