Thabazimbi: Three foreign nationals have been sentenced for a series of violent crimes, including attempted murder and robbery, at the Thabazimbi Regional Court. The individuals, Mathias Mabunda (33), Chrispen Machaure (35), and Edson Muchemva Zvavanoda (43), will serve substantial prison terms for offenses committed in the Waterberg District.
According to South African Police Service, the accused were convicted of multiple offenses: housebreaking with intent to commit robbery, robbery with aggravating circumstances, attempted murder, possession of an unlicensed firearm, and contravention of the Immigration Act. The sentences imposed were five years for housebreaking, 15 years for robbery, six years each for attempted murder and possession of an unlicensed firearm, and two years for immigration violations. Notably, the sentences for all but the robbery charge will run concurrently, effectively resulting in a 15-year term.
The court heard that on November 16, 2021, a farm manager in the Koedoeskop area was attacked at Roodepan Farm. The assailants shot the manager and stole a cellphone, R50,000 in cash, and a passport before fleeing in a waiting white BMW. The swift report of the incident prompted a comprehensive manhunt involving multiple units, leading to the arrest of two suspects in Hammanskraal, Gauteng, on January 14, 2022. The third suspect, Mabunda, was apprehended the same day, having conspired with the others as an employee at the farm.
The investigation was spearheaded by Sergeant Thabiso Aubrey Seshoka, whose efforts ensured the trio remained in custody without bail until sentencing. The Provincial Commissioner of Police in Limpopo, Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe, expressed satisfaction with the court’s decision, emphasizing the importance of the lengthy sentences as a deterrent to future crimes.