TAXI MEN HIJACKERS GET 28 YEARS IN JAIL

MBABANE – Taxi men will heave a sigh of relief as two of the robbers who posed as clients and hijacked one of their own at gunpoint have been sent to jail.

They were sentenced to a collective 28 years but will spend eight years behind bars as some of the sentences will run concurrently.
Thembeka Masika (29) of Bhekinkhosi and Thembela Dlamini (21) of Nginamadvolo were found guilty of all the five counts of robbery and housebreaking with intent to steal and theft by the court on Monday.
Initially, the duo was sentenced to 14 years imprisonment each; however, their sentence was reduced after Mbabane Senior Magistrate Nonhlanhla Dlamini exercised her leniency.
The two men are the ones who caused terror among taxi men operating in Mbabane.

They once kidnapped Sikhumbuzo Ndlangamandla, whom they later abandoned in a forest after robbing him of his motor vehicle.
Evidence that was presented in court was to the effect that the two who are also cousins, acted jointly with a juvenile and hired Ndlangamandla to ferry them to Dlangeni from Mbabane.
On their way to Dlangeni, they threatened Ndlangamandla with what looked like a gun, knives and further tied him with cable tiers and a rope while at Hlobane, an area which is situated a few kilometres from the capital city.

They then drove to Croydon with the juvenile sitting on top of the victim, with his hands and feet tied at the back seat of the car. His mouth was covered with sellotape so that he could not be able to shout for help.
Ndlangamandla also informed the court that while on their way to the unknown destination, the trio would discuss what they were going to do with his life.

He said there was a time when he overheard them planning to kill him before they eventually dumped him in the forest with his hands tied. The victim said the hijackers’ act left him with the view that they were leaving him to die in the forest.
They were apprehended by the community while driving in the stolen car at Millet, an area situated at Maphalaleni Constituency.

In the second incident, the duo hijacked another taxi man and robbed him of his car at Elangeni. The taxi was later found dumped at Ludzeludze after it was reported stolen to the police.
They also robbed a shop assistant, Philile Magagula of her money and took her items while preparing to leave after work.

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