Two police officers stationed at Malala police station in Limpopo have been sentenced to eight years in jail for robbery.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said on Thursday that the officers, Lecton Ramasenya and Frans Seema, were on duty in their work uniforms and driving a police vehicle when the robbery occurred.
According to the NPA, the duo approached a shop they suspected of selling dagga.
NPA regional spokesperson Mashudu Malabi-Dzhangi said the officers entered the shop and ordered the owner to lie down while they stole cigarettes, airtime and cellphones.
“In the second incident, they followed another shop owner to the warehouse, and when they arrived, they also took his stock,” said Malabi-Dzhangi.
Malabi-Dzhangi said the NPA welcomes the sentence and hopes it will serve as a lesson to other people tempted to commit similar crimes.
During trial, the cops pleaded not guilty and chose to remain silent.
State advocate Andisa Mudau submitted that the accused were law-enforcement officers who were supposed to uphold the law, but instead broke it.
“This kind of conduct, especially by law-enforcement officers, makes the community lose confidence in the justice system. The only suitable sentence would be a direct sentence without the option of a fine,” said Mudau.
The court agreed with the state and sentenced the accused to eight years in jail, respectively.
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