Rustenburg - A man was sentenced to 30 years imprisonment for a cash-in-transit heist in which two Hawks officers were gunned down in North West.
Jabulani Moses Yika, 41, was sentenced in the North West High Court in Mmabatho on Friday.
He was arrested following a cash-in-transit robbery in Mahikeng on March 6, 2020 which led to the fatal shooting of Detective Warrant Officer Delene Grobler-Koonin, 44, and Detective Warrant Officer Wynand Herbst, 42.
"The armed gang shot and forced a cash security van off the road and attempted to blow it open, ordered security officers out of the vehicle and took both their firearms.
No access was gained into the safe on the vehicle. At that point, members of the National Intervention Unit approached the suspects and the suspects fled off, leading to a resultant high speed chase.
"Members of DPCI (Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation) head office TOMS (Technical Operations Management Section) were alerted to be on the lookout for the vehicle in question.
“When they spotted the vehicle, they gave chase and a shootout ensued, resulting in Detective Warrant Officer Grobler-Koonin being tragically shot," said Hawks spokesperson in North West, Captain Tlangelani Rikhotso.
"Follow-up operations which included the Special Task Force continued. Later in the day, the suspects were cornered at a Total garage near Coligny where another shootout ensued and Detective Warrant Officer Wynand Herbst was shot during the crossfire.
"Three suspects were fatally wounded and two were arrested. Warrant Officer Herbst succumbed to his injuries on the way to hospital," she said.
Three AK47 rifles, two pistols and 86 live ammunition and two vehicles were seized.
Solomon Ngubeni, 47, Jabulani Yika, 41, Musa Mkhavela, 33, Terefe Demmissie, 39, Edgar Marule, 47, Simphiwe Msibi, 24, Jabulane Sibisi, 53, Omphile Maswabi, 33, and Thuso Tshepo Lobelo, 31, were arrested as the investigation continued and were charges with murder, attempted murder, possession of firearms, possession of ammunition, possession of explosives and malicious damage to property.
The case against them was postponed to February 27.
IOL