POLOKWANE – The Provincial Commissioner of Police in Limpopo Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe and the Provincial Police Management have welcomed harsh sentences handed down by the Limpopo Division of the High Court in Polokwane yesterday against three accused who were convicted for murdering the Modikwa Platinum Mine workers during 2018.

The trial court found that the accused Sipho Khumalo aged 32, Philemon Makwana aged 37 and Thabo Mogala aged 31 had on 02 April 2018 at about 02:00 petrol bombed a bus transporting the Modikwa Platinum Mine workers along the R37 road outside Burgersfort. The forth accused, Kaogelo Moime aged 30 was convicted in 2019 after he pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 25 years imprisonment for six counts of murder and 10 years for forty seven counts of attempted murder.

Six mine workers were burnt beyond recognition and forty seven others managed to escape with burn wounds.

A Task Team consisting of Crime Intelligence, Limpopo Tracking Team, Limpopo PIU and Cluster Detectives was established soon after the incident and the team managed to arrest the suspects and positively linked them to the crimes.

The sentences were as follows:

▪️Sipho Khumalo was sentenced to 6 life imprisonment and 470 years for 47 counts of attempted murder as well as 5 years for malicious damage to property.

▪️Thabo Mogala was sentenced to 6 life imprisonment and 470 years for 47 counts of attempted murder as well as 5 years for malicious damage to property.

▪️Philemon Makwana was sentenced to 6 life imprisonment and 470 years for 47 counts of attempted murder as well as 5 years for malicious damage to property.

Source: South African Police Service