Brakwater kingpins get stiff jail time

SEVERE prison sentences were meted out on Friday to most of the seven men convicted in connection with a multimillion-dollar cash-in-transit heist near Brakwater close to Windhoek in November 2000.

South African nationals Hyacinth James Ningisa (37) and Mike Sandile Mabena (38), and Namibian citizen Hendrick Tsibande (44) were sentenced to effective jail terms of 35 years each by Acting Judge Annel Silungwe as their drawn-out trial came to an end in the High Court in Windhoek. Another Namibian, Macdonald Kambonde (35), was sentenced to 20 years.Fellow Namibians Ismael Oaeb (35) and Brandon Similo (32) were sentenced to effective prison terms of 12 years and seven years respectively.Another South African, Vincent Mabuza (31), got off the lightest with an effective jail term of five years.An unusually large contingent of more than 50 armed Police officers was posted at the high-security High Court building on the grounds of the Windhoek Central Prison for the sentencing.The public gallery was filled to capacity.Some people moaned audibly and wiped away tears as they heard that 35-year jail terms had been dished out to three of the seven men.Kambonde was convicted only on the main count that he and his co-accused faced during their trial, which started in the High Court in October 2002.That is a charge of robbery with aggravating circumstances, in which it was alleged that Kambonde and the other accused took part in an armed robbery in the Brakwater area north of Windhoek in the early morning hours of November 17 2000.A then Namibian record amount of N$5,3 million was stolen from a cash-in-transit vehicle.A security company vehicle driven by Kambonde was forced off the road by robbers driving a bakkie stolen during an armed robbery in Windhoek only hours before.Kambonde and a colleague were on their way from Windhoek to Ondangwa with a load of cash to be delivered to a bank.Acting Judge Silungwe convicted Kambonde on the main robbery charge as an accomplice to that crime.He found that Kambonde had been the robbers’ inside contact.Had it not been for his co-operation, the heist would never have materialised, the Acting Judge commented.At the time of the heist, Kambonde was awaiting trial on another charge of robbery with aggravating circumstances, in connection with a robbery at a farm in the Windhoek district in July 1999.He was eventually convicted of that crime in October 2002, and was sentenced to an 11-year term of imprisonment.Kambonde has to start serving the 20-year jail term for the Brakwater robbery on Friday only after completing that 11-year prison sentence.Ningisa, Mabena and Tsibande were convicted on the main robbery charge, a second charge of robbery with aggravating circumstances for the theft of the bakkie, and on charges of illegal possession of an R5 assault rifle and ammunition.Ningisa and Mabena had played a leading role in the planning of the two robberies, Acting Judge Silungwe repeated his finding in his verdict during the sentencing.He also repeated that he had concluded that Mabena was the mastermind.In an exchange of gunfire between the robbers and Kambonde’s colleague in the targeted vehicle, Kapira Gerhard Thihuro, Thihuro was wounded and in return shot at and wounded Ningisa in the abdomen.Giving evidence in mitigation of sentence, Ningisa lamented that he continued to experience severe pain and discomfort from a bullet that remained lodged in his body, next to his spine, Acting Judge Silungwe noted.He commented: “In other words, the bullet remains a thorn in his flesh.”Acting Judge Silungwe sentenced Ningisa, Mabena and Tsibande each to 20 years on the main robbery charge, to a further 15 years for the bakkie robbery, and to a three years for the illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition.The last sentence was ordered to run concurrently with that on the main charge, but with the sentences on the two robbery charges ordered to run consecutively, the three men have in effect been sentenced to 35 years’ imprisonment each.All seven men have been in Police custody for more than five years.Acting Judge Silungwe said he had taken this into account.Oaeb was convicted on only the main robbery charge as an accomplice.He rented a house in Khomasdal where Ningisa received medical treatment for his gunshot wound, he had also made common cause with Ningisa and Mabena during the planning of the crime, he told lies afterwards in an effort to protect them, and later drove with Mabena to Cape Town, Acting Judge Silungwe recounted.He sentenced Oaeb to 15 years’ imprisonment of which three years were conditionally suspended.Oaeb, Mabena, Similo and Mabuza were arrested at a house in Cape Town five days after the robberies.The Police recovered N$909 250 of the stolen money at that house.Some of the money was in a suitcase belonging to Mabuza.That fact led to him being convicted of theft.Mabuza was sentenced to eight years of which three years were conditionally suspended.Similo was found guilty on the main robbery count as an accessory after the fact.He had made arrangements to secure medical attention for the wounded Ningisa, tried to help Ningisa evade arrest, and also told lies in an effort to shield Mabena, Acting Judge Silungwe recounted.He sentenced Similo to 10 years.Three years were suspended for five years.”None of the accused shows any remorse, as they all stubbornly maintain their innocence in the matter,” Acting Judge Silungwe stated.A little more than N$1 million has been recovered.Another Namibian, Macdonald Kambonde (35), was sentenced to 20 years.Fellow Namibians Ismael Oaeb (35) and Brandon Similo (32) were sentenced to effective prison terms of 12 years and seven years respectively.Another South African, Vincent Mabuza (31), got off the lightest with an effective jail term of five years.An unusually large contingent of more than 50 armed Police officers was posted at the high-security High Court building on the grounds of the Windhoek Central Prison for the sentencing. The public gallery was filled to capacity.Some people moaned audibly and wiped away tears as they heard that 35-year jail terms had been dished out to three of the seven men. Kambonde was convicted only on the main count that he and his co-accused faced during their trial, which started in the High Court in October 2002.That is a charge of robbery with aggravating circumstances, in which it was alleged that Kambonde and the other accused took part in an armed robbery in the Brakwater area north of Windhoek in the early morning hours of November 17 2000.A then Namibian record amount of N$5,3 million was stolen from a cash-in-transit vehicle.A security company vehicle driven by Kambonde was forced off the road by robbers driving a bakkie stolen during an armed robbery in Windhoek only hours before.Kambonde and a colleague were on their way from Windhoek to Ondangwa with a load of cash to be delivered to a bank.Acting Judge Silungwe convicted Kambonde on the main robbery charge as an accomplice to that crime.He found that Kambonde had been the robbers’ inside contact.Had it not been for his co-operation, the heist would never have materialised, the Acting Judge commented.At the time of the heist, Kambonde was awaiting trial on another charge of robbery with aggravating circumstances, in connection with a robbery at a farm in the Windhoek district in July 1999.He was eventually convicted of that crime in October 2002, and was sentenced to an 11-year term of imprisonment.Kambonde has to start serving the 20-year jail term for the Brakwater robbery on Friday only after completing that 11-year prison sentence.Ningisa, Mabena and Tsibande were convicted on the main robbery charge, a second charge of robbery with aggravating circumstances for the theft of the bakkie, and on charges of illegal possession of an R5 assault rifle and ammunition.Ningisa and Mabena had played a leading role in the planning of the two robberies, Acting Judge Silungwe repeated his finding in his verdict during the sentencing.He also repeated that he had concluded that Mabena was the mastermind.In an exchange of gunfire between the robbers and Kambonde’s colleague in the targeted vehicle, Kapira Gerhard Thihuro, Thihuro was wounded and in return shot at and wounded Ningisa in the abdomen.Giving evidence in mitigation of sentence, Ningisa lamented that he continued to experience severe pain and discomfort from a bullet that remained lodged in his body, next to his spine, Acting Judge Silungwe noted.He commented: “In other words, the bullet remains a thorn in his flesh.”Acting Judge Silungwe sentenced Ningisa, Mabena and Tsibande each to 20 years on the main robbery charge, to a further 15 years for the bakkie robbery, and to a three years for the illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition.The last sentence was ordered to run concurrently with that on the main charge, but with the sentences on the two robbery charges ordered to run consecutively, the three men have in effect been sentenced to 35 years’ imprisonment each.All seven men have been in Police custody for more than five years.Acting Judge Silungwe said he had taken this into account.Oaeb was convicted on only the main robbery charge as an accomplice.He rented a house in Khomasdal where Ningisa received medical treatment for his gunshot wound, he had also made common cause with Ningisa and Mabena during the planning of the crime, he told lies afterwards in an effort to protect them, and later drove with Mabena to Cape Town, Acting Judge Silungwe recounted.He sentenced Oaeb to 15 years’ imprisonment of which three years were conditionally suspended.Oaeb, Mabena, Similo and Mabuza were arrested at a house in Cape Town five days after the robberies.The Police recovered N$909 250 of the stolen money at that house.Some of the money was in a suitcase belonging to Mabuza.That fact led to him being convicted of theft.Mabuza was sentenced to eight years of which three years were conditionally suspended.Similo was found guilty on the main robbery count as an accessory after the fact.He had made arrangements to secure medical attention for the wounded Ningisa, tried to help Ningisa evade arrest, and also told lies in an effort to shield Mabena, Acting Judge Silungwe recounted.He sentenced Similo to 10 years.Three years were suspended for five years.”None of the accused shows any remorse, as they all stubbornly maintain their innocence in the matter,” Acting Judge Silungwe stated.A little more than N$1 million has been recovered.