Police in Thohoyandou are in a celebratory mood, following the lengthy sentences received by two criminals who terrorized the community by committing house robberies with unlicensed firearms.
The two, Admire Chikwanda (22) and Brian Mhoko (34), were recently sentenced to 47 years and 17 years respectively in the Sibasa Regional Court for cases ranging from house robbery to possession of unlicensed firearms. The offences were committed between March and September 2012.
It emerged in court that Admire Chikwanda had robbed two police officers of their state-issued firearms at Ha Matsila in the Vuwani area in March 2012. The court also heard that the same firearms were used in a house robbery in Ha Mavhunda in July 2012, when he robbed the occupants of the house of clothing and cash.
His criminal activities then moved to Siambe and on 12 August 2012 he robbed a house of food and cash, and on the same day, he also robbed a family at Tshififi of food and money.
Chikwanda was arrested in September 2012 after he was found in possession of unlicensed fire-arms, which were later identified as those belonging to police officers that were taken during a robbery that happened in March.
For his crimes, Chikwanda was sentenced to 47 years in prison. Brian Mhoko, who was also an accomplice of Chikwanda, was linked to the house robbery at Tshififi that happened in August 2012. He was sentenced to 17 years' imprisonment for the crime.
"The police are delighted about the whole sentence as we believe it will send a strong message to would-be offenders and be a deterrent in the community. We are happy justice has finally been done," said Const Avhafarei Tshiovhe of the Thohoyandou police.