Eight gang members to spend life behind bars
A gang of eight convicted robbers has been sentenced to a combined 914 years behind bars – in what the Hawks describe as a first in South Africa.
The elite crime-fighting units says the eight men were convicted in the High Court in Johannesburg for their involvement in 11 bank robberies, as well as racketeering activities and 20other related charges, after a trial that lasted two years.
Hawks spokesperson, Hangwani Mulaudzi, says the team received an analysis of the syndicate in 2014.
"Hardly a month later, the Hawks team made a breakthrough and secured the attendance of the seven suspects at who were arrested for robbery of a chain store in Empangeni, Kwa-Zulu Natal.
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“In May and September of the same year, a further four suspects were arrested in Johannesburg and Klerksdorp respectively."
Mulaudzi says at beginning of the trial in 2016 one of the suspects - 54-year-old Jackson Msiza - pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 20 years in imprisonment.
"Whilst three other accused, withdrawn due to insufficient evidence. The remaining eight were found guilty on two counts of racketeering in terms of the Prevention of Organised Crime Act (POCA), robberies with aggravating circumstances, attempted murder, possession of unlicensed firearms, and malicious damage to property."
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