A 46-year-old man, Mncedisi Mvumbi was sentenced to 15 years in jail after he attempted to rob a North West police station.
North West police spokesperson, Colonel Adéle Myburgh, said Mvumbi and his two friends entered the police station pretending to open a criminal case.
“Two police members were on duty and assisted them, when Mvumbi asked to use the bathroom, situated behind the counter of the community service centre,” said Myburgh.
"After gaining access behind the counter, he pointed the police officers with a firearm and ordered the police officers to hand over their service pistols to him,” she said.
“The brave police officers fought back and overpowered Mvumbi, whilst his two friends ran off.”
It was then discovered that the firearm used by Mvumbi in threatening the police officers was an air gun.
Mvumbi was immediately arrested for attempted robbery. He was not granted bail throughout the trial.
Myburgh said on Friday, the Bafokeng Regional Court found Mvumbi guilty and sentenced him to 15 years imprisonment for attempted robbery.
“He was also declared unfit to possess a firearm in terms of Section 103 of the Firearm Control Act,” she said.
Meanwhile, provincial police commissioner in North West, Lieutenant General Sello Kwena has saluted the investigating officers in the case, Warrant Officer Elias Kgaboesele from the Mogwase family violence, child protection and sexual offences unit (FCS) and Constable Benjamin Moruane of Lethabong detectives “for their diligence to ensure that the convict is put behind bars”.
Furthermore, Kwena said the the sentence will send a strong message that criminals across the province will face the full might of the law.
In 2021, IOL reported that police officers at the Malamulele police station in Limpopo were bundled into a van while the station was robbed of rifles, pistols and ammunition.
At the time, Brigadier Athlenda Mathe said on a Sunday, at around midnight, a group of armed suspects stormed the Malamulele police station and held officers at gunpoint in the community service centre of the police station.
“Some members were forced into the back of a police van while one member was ordered to unlock the safe where the suspects took R5 rifles, 9mm pistols, shotguns and an undisclosed number of ammunition,” said Mathe.
After robbing the police station, the daring assailants proceeded to a local food outlet and a filling station, where they robbed the businesses of an undisclosed amount of cash.
IOL