Two years after hijacking a minibus transporting employees of a rehabilitation facility in Motherwell in August 2020, 38-year-old Cumile Nogqala will be spending more than 10 years behind bars.
Nogqala who was arrested on August 14, 2020, was sentenced to 24 years imprisonment in the Motherwell Regional Court on Wednesday after being found guilty on several charges: robbery with aggravating circumstances (15 years direct imprisonment) possession of an unlicenced firearm (six years) and the possession of ammunition (three years).
The possession of an unlicenced firearm and possession of ammunition charges will run concurrent to the robbery with aggravating circumstances charge, which means that Nogqala will effectively serve 15 years in prison.
The charges relate to an incident on August 14, 2020, when a Quantum minibus was hijacked in Nzunga Street, NU5 in Motherwell. The driver was pointed with a firearm and forced off the road by a Nissan Qashqai minibus with three suspects.
The driver and one passenger in the Quantum were forced out of the vehicle, whereafter the suspects fled with the minibus. The hijacking was witnessed by an off-duty police officer who alerted SAPS Ikhamvelihle Crime Prevention members. The members immediately responded and a high-speed chase ensued from Kwalimanzi and into Ngxangxosi Streets in Motherwell, where the members stopped the Nissan Qashqai and arrested one suspect. An unlicensed firearm with ammunition was also confiscated. The hijacked Quantum minibus was recovered abandoned in Ngxangosi Street.
Police spokesperson, Capt. Sandra Janse van Rensburg, said that the accused remained in custody for the duration of the trial. “Through proper investigation, the investigating officer, W/O Jacques Joubert, was able to link the Qashqai minibus directly to the hijacking of the Quantum and on Friday March 18, 2022, the accused was found guilty. He was sentenced on Wednesday, March 23,” she said.
Acting Nelson Mandela Bay District Commissioner, Brig. Luntu Ngubelanga, applauded the excellent investigation by D/W/O Jacques Joubert of VCIU.
“This sentence is welcomed and should serve as a lesson to any person who thinks that he/she can commit such criminal deeds and get away with it. In our quest for justice, we will ensure that our cases are thoroughly investigated and criminals receive the maximum punishment. Vehicle hijackings are a concern in the metro and those arrested will not be spared.”
