A man who had been terrorising Malamulele Town and the surrounding villages during the past months, Gezani Peter Hobyane (30), of Jerome Village in the Mavambe area, was sentenced to 72 years in jail on nine counts of housebreaking and theft.

The case was finalised in the Malamulele Magistrate’s Court last Friday. The incidents relating to the case took place between January and March this year. The court heard that the accused was an expert as far as housebreaking and theft are concerned.

The court further heard that numerous cases of housebreaking and theft were reported at the Malamulele police station from January this year. Although almost all the areas surrounding Malamulele town were affected by the house-breakings, Mavambe village was the hardest hit.

The police received a tip-off from the concerned residents towards the end of March. The information led to the arrest of Hobyane early in April. The police managed to recover stolen goods to the value of about R10 000 during Hobyane’s arrest.

The recovered stolen goods vary from radios, hi-fis, video machines, DVD players, television sets, to wall clocks and cellphones. The accused was given jail sentences ranging from nine to 12 years on each count, which came to a total of 72 years when put together.

Part of the sentence was conditionally suspended and, in the end, the accused was ordered to serve a jail sentence of eight years. Capt Maano Sadike, the spokesperson for the police in the Mopani area, said that the SAPS welcomes the sentence with open hands saying it will send a clear message to the criminals to be that crime does not pay.