It was a case of old habits die hard for two former convicts who were sentenced to 160 and 340 years’ imprisonment recently after their conviction on multiple counts of robbing supermarkets and patrons in Chatsworth.
Bonginkosi Mhkwanazi, 49, and Mhlonipheni Zwane, 51, were convicted of the same charge (robbery with aggravating circumstances) in 2009 and sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment.
Both men were released on parole on the same day in 2016.
But they teamed up again in 2018, added other recruits and committed numerous armed robberies at supermarkets and terrorised staff and patrons in the process.
Police set a trap and arrested Zwane and Mkwanazi in October 2019. Both men had reported at an uMlazi police station on the day, in accordance with their parole conditions, unaware of the sting operation.
Their accomplices are still at large.
Prosecutor Surekha Marimuthu said the State had gathered overwhelming evidence to secure the convictions of the accused.
It included CCTV footage, and customers and staff who were able to point out the accused who accosted them.
Magistrate Hein Visagie handed the sentences at the Durban Regional Court last week, after he convicted them on a combined total of 19 robbery with aggravating circumstances counts in March.
Mkwanazi was convicted on eight counts (counts 1, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 and 19).
On each of the counts, Mkwanazi was sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment.
“Both accused have previous convictions for robbery with aggravating circumstances.
“Therefore, they will be regarded as second offenders, which carries a prescribed minimum sentence of 20 years for each count,” said Visagie.
He found no compelling reason to deviate from the prescribed norm.
Visagie ordered that the sentences for counts 1, 13, 14 and 15 run concurrently and likewise for counts 16 to 19, which landed him 40 years of effective imprisonment.
Zwane was convicted on 17 counts (2 and 4 to 19). He also received a 20-year sentence for each.
Visagie made the sentences for counts 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 run concurrently, also counts 13 to 15 and counts 16 to 19.
He directed that 10 years of the sentences handed on counts 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 run concurrently with the sentence imposed for counts 13 to 15.
That landed Zwane 50 years of effective incarceration.
Visagie said business robberies were serious offences and “like cancer in South Africa”.
“You were part of a group who terrorised business owners in the greater Chatsworth area.
“The robberies were well planned and the participants were armed to their teeth.”
Visagie noticed that Check Save supermarkets became “soft targets” for the accused because they were robbed on three occasions.
“The shop owners tried to protect themselves by installing CCTV cameras but even that did not deter you.
“On every occasion, the accused made every attempt to remove the hard drive from the security system,” he said.
Visagie told the accused that their deeds had traumatised their victims. One victim told the court how he struggled to sleep at night and used alcohol to cope, after he was “roughed up” during one of the robberies.
Mohamed Bashir Hoosen was the owner of Pelican Wholesalers in Bayview, robbed on October 18, 2019.
Hoosen was in his office, counting cash takings, which he needed to prepare for payments the next day, when one of the robbers barged in with a gun placed on the head of a female staff member.
The robber positioned the gun on Hoosen’s head and demanded he load the cash of more than R30 000 into a bag.
The gunman also ripped out the computer box containing their CCTV cameras’ hard drive.
Hoosen said one of the armed men robbed a pregnant customer of her cellphone and watch before taking his and another customer’s car keys.
“They made their getaway in the customer’s car because they were unable to open mine. The car was found abandoned near an entrance to uMlazi.”
Two days later, when he visited the Bayview police station about progress of the investigations, to his surprise, he noticed the two accused were being held in custody.
Hoosen said his the robbery left his staff member “severely traumatised”.
“That was the sixth time I had a gun placed to my head during my many years in business. I have this attitude that whatever happens must happen.
“The court proceedings took much time, but I am delighted with the outcome,” said Hoosen.
SUNDAY TRIBUNE