Two men who killed three people during a violent robbery and murder spree in Mpumalanga during June and August 2019 were on Thursday sentenced to three life terms each.
The Middelburg high court also sentenced Tumi Joseph Vuma, 35, from Burgersfort and Fikson Seakga Hine, 31, from Polokwane to an additional 76 years’ imprisonment each after convicting them for multiple violent crimes they committed.
They were convicted of robbery with aggravating circumstances, unlawful possession of firearms, unlawful possession of ammunition and kidnapping.
The first incident was on June 25 2019, when the accused and their co-accused Zweli Lukhele held up a tavern owner and his wife in Wonderfontein, Belfast. They robbed the couple of a firearm, a safe, a TV set, alcohol, cellphones and an undisclosed amount of cash, National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Monica Nyuswa said.
Two months later, the accused asked for a lift from David Mthimunye, who was travelling in his car with Emma Sylvia Nkosi and Thomas Sibiya.
Along the road, the accused demanded his vehicle. They fatally shot Mthimunye and Sibiya and threatened Nkosi not to report the incident to anyone.
“They then drove off with the deceased’s vehicle until they reached Emalahleni, where they accosted another victim Sipho Given Gumede, who was driving in his car.” They also robbed him of his car and shot him dead.
“They dumped his lifeless body near the railway line and drove off in both vehicles to Kwaggafontein, and sold the vehicles,” Nyuswa said.
After their arrest, Vuma and Hine pleaded not guilty. However, Lukhele entered into a plea and sentencing agreement with the state and was sentenced to 35 years’ imprisonment in February last year.
Prosecutor Gertrude Nkosi called Lukhele as a state witness and he testified against the accused.
The court ordered the sentences to run concurrently, with the effective sentence being life imprisonment each.
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