cigarettes thief to spend 12 years

Last week, Mfanukhona Hlatjwako (31) of Nsangwini was sentenced to six years imprisonment without an option of a fine by Magistrate Sebenzile Ndlela-Kunene.

He had broken into Checkers Super-market and stolen volumes of cigarettes valued at E6 000.

He was given the same sentence of six years without an option of a fine yesterday by Magistrate Ndlela-Kunene for breaking into another shop at the Matsapha Industrial Sites.

Hlatjwako stole E12 000 cash, airtime cards worth E9 500, 10 volumes of Courtleigh worth E2 200, four volumes of Peter Stuyvesant worth E800, three volumes of Craven A worth E800, four volumes of Rothmans valued E800, four volumes of Marlboro worth E800 and five volumes of Kent worth E1 000.

All the items are valued at E27 900.

Mukesh Patel of Shree Raa Super-market told the court that he realised the items at the store had been stolen when he saw the counter empty.

Hlatjwako when asked to defend himself preferred to keep quiet and during mitigation, he only told the court that he was not happy with the harsh sentences the court was passing, much to the laughter of the people inside the courtroom.

The Crown produced Hlatjwako’s 13 previous convictions which included offences such as house-breaking, theft, malicious injury to property and theft of a motor vehicle among others.

The offences were committed from the year 2000 until this year when he committed the two housebreaking offences in the supermarkets.

Hlatjwako will be spending 12 years in prison.

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