Judge Chris Botha handed down one double life sentence after the other as if he were reciting poetry. It was finally judgment day in a hot Pretoria for the Bronkhorstspruit cash heist accused.
And, as the 11 convicts went down to their cells under heavy security, members of the SAPS specialised unit launched a quiet manhunt for at least 20 more people in connection with the same case.
So continues the much-publicised Bronkhorstspruit saga, dubbed in some quarters as South Africa's most awful highway robbery.
It took place at dawn on July 31 1997 on the N4 highway towards Witbank, and left two security guards murdered and a whopping R17,4-million gone.
Since then it has been characterised by escapes and rearrests, exchanges of gunfire, trials-within-a-trial, and one of the accused, Robinson Matshozi, has become a paraplegic after being shot during an attempted escape.
This week, on exactly the same day that 11 out of the 15 originally charged were sentenced, members of the Asset Forfeiture Unit and the police went out in 15 different teams to raid the homes of the convicts.
Police spokesperson Phuti Setati emphasised that the police's drive to recoup whatever is still left of the property of the gang would be extended to the four who had been acquitted.
The police are trying to demonstrate their resolve that crime doesn't and won't pay.
They attached at least five houses and removed goods from a number of others. At the Lombardy East home of convict Dennis Ngobese, a washing machine, a lounge suite and kitchen wall units were seized.
Sipho Ngwema, speaking for the National Directorate of Public Prosecutions, would not reveal the item-by-item list of the things removed during the raids. However, he confirmed that in the East Rand area of Spruitview, a Toyota Venture, a BMW and a VW Golf were among the goods seized, in addition to an assortment of household furniture.
More raids were also staged in Thembisa on the East Rand, Germiston, Fourways, Soweto and Randburg, all in a bid to recover the stolen money or the proceeds.
The Saturday Star spoke to one of the investigators in this "recovery plan", who agreed to comment only on condition of anonymity.
"What we're doing is good as it shows the public that we mean business and will not tolerate criminals making a living from illegal gains. But the truth is, between you and me, we will not recover much of the R17-million that was stolen," he said.
"We have made a very good analysis of the lifestyles of these people, and the chances of recovering much from them are slim. We believe there were at least 35 people involved in the Bronkhorstspruit robbery, and yet only 15 people stood trial. Where are the other 20? We have to find them. And, if they shared R17-million, then they each received about R500 000."
Some of the stolen money has been spent on legal costs, because several of the accused did not opt for Legal Aid Board lawyers.
Most of the accused who came from Thembisa hired the services of one lawyer from Kempton Park, who cost them an arm and a leg. Rumour has it that one of the accused, who was among those acquitted, had to sell six of his minibus taxis and one of his three houses in Thembisa in order to pay his legal bill.
Others were said not to have any money because of their lavish lifestyles, which included expensive cars, lots of liquor, and taking their girlfriends on holidays to Durban and Cape Town.
Others bought properties, including townhouses, in the names of their relatives, and it was legally not easy to pin down the ownership of such properties to them.
This was besides the men's penchant for expensive fashion goods and jewellery.
Throughout their 30-month trial, nearly all the accused turned the court into a fashion show.
They all arrived in court "dressed to kill", so to speak.
Ngwema could not say if the expensive clothing and jewellery would be repossessed by the state as part of the proceeds from criminal activities.
Meanwhile, defence counsel for most of the men indicated that they would soon be appealing against the heavy sentences, which are coupled with additional years ranging from 23 to 33 on top of the double life imprisonment. By the time they emerge, they could be old men.