The Khayelitsha Regional Court sentenced Thamsanqa Loli (20), Eric Tshamlambo (33), to lengthy prison terms for robbery with aggravating circumstances on Tuesday 10 October 2017.
The accused carried out a brazen armed robbery on 14 December 2010 at Cape Town International Airport when they confronted Brazier Security personnel who were busy emptying pay machines.
They then threatened the guards with firearms and made off with cash bags containing approximately R120 000.
Members from the Hawks’ National Bureau for Illegal Firearms Control and Priority Violent Crime (NBIFCPVC), Unit were activated and investigations were initiated in earnest. This resulted in the arrest of three suspects within a space of two days with Zamile Mbedu (31), being the 3rd suspect in the matter.
The accused made a series of court appearances culminating in their recent sentencing. Tshamlambo was sentenced to effective fifteen years imprisonment whilst Loli received twenty two years jail term. Mbedu was absent from the proceedings due to an apparent illness, however he is expected to meet the same fate when he appears in the same court on Thursday 12 October 2017.
The Western Cape Acting Provincial Head of the Hawks Brigadier Neil Oliver hailed the sentences.
“This should send a strong message to those who intend committing crime, that the weed of crime bears bitter fruits. We shall continue to do our outmost best through our investigative acumen, to ensure that, those who commit acts of crime are put away for a long time.” he said
South Africa Today – South Africa News
