The Hawks top brass in the Western Cape has hailed its officers who secured a direct imprisonment against a robber, who recently pleaded guilty to the charges against him, having previously distanced himself from the crime.
Yamkela Sima Jacobs, 35, was among a group of armed men the Hawks arrested following a robbery where more than R4 million including grants for Sassa beneficiaries, was stolen from a Shoprite supermarket in Parow in February 2017.
Detailing the incident, Hawks spokesperson Zinzi Hani said reports showed that nine men approached security guards at the back of the supermarket’s back entrance, forcing them into the staff room at gunpoint.
“They were then searched by the suspects. All the cell phones of the staff members were robbed from them and placed in a bag.
The suspects demanded to see the manager. The manager was then threatened with firearms. He was then taken to his office where the drop safe was,” said Hani.
They then demanded money once they accessed the office.
“He (the manager) told the suspects that there was no money in the safe. The suspects then took the money that was destined for the tills and placed it in bags. The suspects then threatened the manager further.
He then showed them where the grant money (SASSA) was kept. The suspects took an amount of approximately R4 million and also placed it in bags,” she said.
Jacobs, along with Melikhaya Johnson Dlakavu, 44, Sphiwo Toba, 40 and Thulile Peter 58, were charged with 13 counts of robbery with aggravating circumstances.
Having changed his not guilty plea to guilty on August 29, the Khayelitsha Magistrate’s Court this week sentenced Jacobs to:
• Twelve years imprisonment for robbery with aggravating circumstances, of which four years was suspended for five years.
• Another 12 years for count 2 to count 13 (robbery with aggravating circumstances) of which four years was suspended for five years.
• He was also declared unfit to possess a firearm. The sentence imposed on counts 2 to 13 will run concurrently with the sentence imposed on count 1, which effectively means that Jacobs will serve eight years.
The case against Dlakavu, Toba and Peter was postponed to September 17 for legal aid.
Hawks’ Western Cape head Mathipa Makgato hailed his officers for the “excellent work”.
“Having realised the risk in pursuing armed robbers, the members remained committed to the cause of protecting lives.
Through their relentless pursuit of the suspects, the accused is now removed from society and justice has been served,” he said.
Cape Times