Two illegal immigrants have swapped their freedom for orange prison overalls for breaking into other people’s houses and for being in the country illegally.
The convicts, Azara Josea Nyungele, 36, from Mozambique, and 22-year-old Tatenda Tupudza from Zimbabwe appeared at the Pretoria North magistrate’s court on Monday.
The court heard that Nyungele and Tupudza went on a housebreaking spree and stole luxury items worth more than R10 000 from each crime committed, with the aim to sell their loot.
Nyungele, who will serve 20 years in jail, was found guilty of 11 counts of housebreaking and for being in the country illegally. His accomplice Tupudza, who was charged with one count of housebreaking and for being an illegal immigrant, received six years behind bars.
The court further declared that they are “unfit” to possess a firearm, according to Lumka Mahanjana, the regional spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority.
Mahanjana said the two men were arrested following a failed housebreaking in January 2022, having terrorised the community around Pretoria since May 2019.
“The offences happened between May 2019 and January 2022 when they broke into the complainants’ households while sleeping and took luxury items. They were arrested after breaking into a house in Annlin, Sinoville on January 27 2022,” said Mahanjana.
Prosecutor Rabia Ebrahim argued that such crimes are “prevalent in the court’s area of jurisdiction”.
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