The three men convicted of murder relating to the torching of a bus that was transporting Modikwa Platinum Mine workers in April 2018, killing six, have each been sentenced to life imprisonment.
When handing down the judgment on Monday, Acting Judge Podu Mdhludi stated that the trio alongside their co-accused Kgaukgelo Moime, who is already serving time for the crime, intended to kill the workers as they only set the bus on fire after all the employees had climbed in.
Sipho Khumalo, Philemon Makwana and Thabo Mokgala, were each given six life sentences for murder, ten years for attempted murder and another five years in prison for malicious damage to property. The sentences will run concurrently. When handing down the sentence, Acting Judge Podu Mdhluli said they showed no remorse.
“And for them to still maintain that they were not involved even when the court gave them the reasons of the judgment which implicated them in this offence is a slap in the face of the court. It finds resonance in the submission by the state that the all accused persons don’t appreciate the seriousness of the offence and the implication thereof because even beyond conviction they could not appreciate the fact that they had been convicted.”
Police forensics in April of 2018 identified the six mineworkers as Moniccah Mabilo (57) from Ga Mahlokwane village, Johannes Malepe (56), Ziphora Makuwa (48) – both from Driekop, Solomon Komana (37), Simon Mahlokwane (42) – both from Ga Mahlokwane village and 58-year-old Pheta Ranku from Lesotho.
Police said assailants boarded the work bus and set off the petrol bomb before fleeing the scene.
The workers were en route to work the night shift.
Families welcome sentence
Meanwhile, the families of the deceased have welcomed the sentences but expressed disappointment that the convicts did not reveal the names of their other accomplices.
“We are happy that the court gave them life sentences, we wish the three men could provide names of their accomplices because we know they were not the only ones involved in the torching of the bus. We now live in fear. I welcome the life sentence, it is something I was expecting from the judge, I expected it, we lost our loved ones, parents, who used to take care of us, it is what we were hoping for,” says some of the victims’ families.
