Trio handed life sentence for deadly Burgersfort bombing
The Limpopo High Court has sentenced Sipho Khumalo (29), Philemon Makwana (34) and 28-year-old Thabo Mokgala to life in prison for the 2018 death of several mineworkers.
The trio will serve a life sentence on each count of murder for 6 people, 10 years on 47 counts of attempted murder and 5 years on the count of malicious damage to property.
The hefty sentence follows a deadly incident in April 2018 where four men and two women were burnt beyond recognition after the fiery attack to the Segweka bus service at Driekop village outside Burgersfort.
It’s understood the accused held a meeting and agreed to burn a bus carrying Modikwa mineworkers.
Provincial spokespersons for the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) Mashudu Malabi-Dzhangi says a fourth accused, Kgaugelo Moime (30), pleaded guilty to all charges last year.
“He was sentenced to twenty-five (25) years imprisonment for each count of murder and ten (10) years imprisonment for each count of attempted murder.”
State prosecutor George Sekhukhune asked the court to impose the prescribed minimum sentence for the three accused for showing no remorse, adding they carefully planned the crime and executed it.
“The court ordered that 47 counts of attempted murder and the count of malicious damage to property will run concurrently with life imprisonment of the counts of murder,” Malabi-Dzhangi added.
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