As the country heads towards the seventh general elections, South Africans are on high alert, looking at government to act swiftly on issues like crime.
Now a group of foreign nationals have been arrested for on charges of malicious injury to property, assault as well as public violence following an attack of a police station.
The eight accused, Onogu Nwaemeka, Kelecho Oken, Ebot Kennedy, Chijioke Steven, Charles Aknaji, Umemba Sophuru, Amajoyi Tochukwu, and Charles Okerie Onyedikashi, were arrested after they attacked the Kimberley Police Station as well as the members of the South African Police Service (SAPS).
It is alleged that on the day of the incident, the police had arrested their countryman for possession of illegal drugs, and they demanded that he not be apprehended by the police.
“Mayhem broke out as the police tried to contain the situation and the accused started to attack the police. Additional tactical police reinforcements were called and the eight accused were arrested,” the Kimberley District Court heard.
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The matter has been postponed to 26 April 2024 for further investigations. Accused are remanded in custody until their next court appearance.
In a separate incident, the Kuruman Regional Court has sentenced Keorapetse Kgaje (32), from Batlharos a village near Kuruman, in the Northern Cape, to an effective sentence of 28 years direct imprisonment for robbery with aggravating circumstances.
“On 17 February 2022, Keorapetse together with three unknown males entered the shop of the complainant a Bangladeshi shop owner and proceeded to point the complainant with a firearm ordering him to give them money and some of his stock.
“The incident took place during the day while the shop was still open. Keorapetse and his accomplices managed to get cash amounting to R3700 as well as stock before the three co-perpetrators fled the scene.”
Keorapetse, who had a gun, stayed behind and continued searching and demanding more money.
“He instructed the complainant to give him more money and made him go to the bedroom where a fight broke out between the two. The complainant managed to overpower the Keorapetse, disarming him and assaulting him. After the complainant had restrained Keorapetse, the police were called to the scene.”
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Upon his arrest, Keorapetse denied having been part of the group of men who had robbed the shop and three having fled the scene.
He informed the police that he had come to the shop to buy and was mistaken by the complainant to have been part of the robbery. He denied having a gun and pointing at the complainant with it. He explained that because it was his first time at that shop, he was mistaken to be part of the robbers.
During the trial, Keorapetse was identified by three witnesses who were at the shop, as the one who had a gun and not wearing a mask. According to the court, these witnesses corroborated each other, and no criticism could be levelled against their testimonies.
The same could not be said of Keorapetse, who testified about new versions that were never put to witnesses and could not explain this.
The court found that the evidence of the complainant was truthful honest, and satisfactory. Keorapetse’s version was rejected as he did not take the court and even his attorney into his confidence.
