Durban – A July unrest looter was recently sent to prison by the Durban Regional Court after he was convicted and was unable to pay for damage he caused and/or pay a fine.
National Prosecutor Authority spokesperson in KwaZulu-Natal Natasha Kara said Njabulo Ncube was sentenced to an effective eight years’ imprisonment on Tuesday.
He had been convicted of housebreaking with intent to steal and theft committed during the looting and public violence that took place in KZN last year. Ncube and a group of others broke into a shop in Umbilo and stole groceries.
“They were arrested by members of the police who were passing by.
“In court, Ncube conceded that he had no means to compensate for the R27 000 damages or to pay a fine. He was thus sentenced accordingly,” said Kara.
She said the matter was finalised by Regional Court prosecutors Kuveshni Pillay and Thami Njapha.
Last month two July 2021 unrest looters were convicted and sentenced to five years imprisonment for public violence.
Police spokesperson Brigadier Jay Naicker said that on July 11, 2021, at 8.45pm, Greenwood Park police responded to reports of a service station being looted at Inanda Road in Durban by a large mob. The group pelted police officers with rocks, damaging the police vehicle in the process. The two police officers stood their ground and arrested two men as the crowd began to flee the scene.
“The two suspects, Sihle Jali, 41, and Sifiso Ngcobo, 29, were detained at Greenwood Park SAPS on charges of public violence. They subsequently made several appearances at the Durban Magistrate’s Court and on Friday, August 5, 2022, they were convicted and sentenced to five years imprisonment for public violence,” Naicker said.
Daily News