Byline: Nonjabuliso Nhlambo

22 July 2024

Mthokozisi Sunnyboy Nkosi (32),Manqoba Prince Malaza (28),Thando Raymond Malaza (23) and Penuel Joseph Masina (20) appeared before the Chief Albert Luthuli Magistrate Court on charges of business robbery and illegal possession of a firearm.

Their appearance comes after the four were arrested on Wednesday, 17 July 2024.

According to information at police disposal, members from Elukwatini Crime Prevention were busy with their daily duties, patrolling the Elukwatini SAPS precinct, when they received information from the community service center that there’s an armed robbery taking place at Nhlazatshe no.03 at a certain shop.

They rushed to the said scene on their arrival they were informed that the suspects drove away on a white Toyota Fortune, and they were also given the description of the suspects.

The police proceeded with investigations.They stopped a certain White Toyota Fortune with the aim of searching it and asked them some few questions.

They were then informed by these innocent, law abiding citizens of another white Toyota Fortune, which had passed them, and they showed the police the direction it sped to, luckily they found this Fortune.

They asked to see the driving license of the driver, whiles the driver was about to give the police his driving license, the police noticed that the African males in the vehicle fitted the description given at the scene of the business robbery.

They then started searching the vehicle, with one of the police paying attention to the occupants, who were at this time out of the vehicle as they were instructed by the police.

The police searching the vehicle discovered groceries and undisclosed amount of cash in the vehicle and the astute members suspected that these items were taken from the robbed shop, when they proceeded with their search, they also discovered a 9mm Parabelum with serial number Q059960.

When circulated, the firearm reflected that it belonged to the state and was issued to a constable, and the constable was robbed of that firearm in November 2023 and a robbery case was opened at Elukwatini on the same day that he was robbed.

The white Toyota Fortune when circulated, it reflected that it belonged to a local tribal authority and the driver is a son from that tribal authority.The four were remanded in custody and the matter was postponed to the 25th of July 2024.