PRETORIA – The High Court in Mpumalanga, sitting in Middelburg, has sentenced 32-year-old Moses Maseko to life imprisonment after he was convicted of robbing and fatally stabbing a woman, before disarming a police officer who was transporting him.
The trial court heard that on February 19, 2021, Maseko committed robbery and stabbed a woman to death in a shack at Dullstroom, according to Mpumalanga police spokesperson Brigadier Selvy Mohlala.
Later, on the same day, while he was taken in for questioning in relation to the murdered woman, Maseko robbed a police officer of his service pistol while being transported. He then escaped.
“Immediately after the incident, police launched a manhunt for him and he was arrested following a shocking incident where a certain family in Dullstroom called police, informing them of an armed man found in their house. As police were driving to the scene, Maseko shot himself but he was taken to hospital where he received medical treatment,” Mohlala said.
“Police recovered the state firearm on the scene that day. He was arrested and charged accordingly where he was linked as well as charged for the woman's murder, robbery incident where it is said that a businessman was robbed of undisclosed amount of cash at gunpoint on February 26, 2021.”
In the incident where Maseko robbed the Mpumalanga businessman, Mohlala said the victim had closed his tuckshop and took a walk in the street in Dullstroom. Maseko approached him, and held him hostage.
“The accused then robbed him of his money before he fled the scene. Maseko was further charged with unlawful possession of firearm and ammunition, house robbery with intention to steal and theft, as well as house robbery.”
Maseko was convicted and sentenced as follows:
– On the count of murder, he was sentenced to life imprisonment.
– On the count of robbery of a firearm, he was sentenced to five years imprisonment.
– On the count of unlawful possession of a firearm, he was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment.
– On the count of unlawful possession of ammunition, the accused was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment.
– On the count of house breaking with an intent to steal and theft, he was sentenced to 24 months imprisonment.
– On the second count of house breaking, he was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment.
“The court decided that all the sentences will run concurrently with the life sentence. Meanwhile, he was declared unfit to possess a firearm,” Mohlala said.
IOL