Pretoria – The man who confessed to breaking into the house of globally-acclaimed Ndebele artist Esther Mahlangu, and robbing the 87-year-old pensioner has been remanded in custody.
Mpumalanga police spokesperson, Brigadier Selvy Mohlala said Simon Kgantshi Skosana, aged 27, and an accomplice appeared before the Mdutjana Magistrate's Court in Mpumalanga today.
“Simon Kgantshi Skosana was remanded in custody until April 20 for formal bail application.
“Suspect number two, Jan Mlemani Kwati Masilela, aged 32, was released on R3 000 bail. He will be back in court on May 10,” Mohlala said.
Earlier, provincial commissioner police in Mpumalanga, Lieutenant General Semakaleng Daphney Manamela commended the “sterling work” done by the established team of detectives.
They arrested and charged Skosana and Masilela in connection with the robbery and physical attack on Mahlangu.
Seven suspects were brought in for questioning, and five were released after obtaining statements from them. Mohlala said the five could not be linked to the robbery.
“According to the report, police pounced on the first suspect at around 2am in the morning at Mogononong in Siyabuswa. He was found with the firearm and its serial number filed off, hidden in the toilet cistern, wrapped in plastic.
“He then pointed to the second suspect where he bought the firearm from. The second suspect bought it from the third suspect. The third suspect pointed to the fourth suspect where he also bought it from,” Mohlala said.
Police said the fourth suspect confessed to be the one who broke into Mahlangu’s house and took the firearm, money and a safe.
The safe was found at Ramokgeletsane, a few kilometres from Siyabuswa, and it had been opened with an angle-grinder, Mohlala said.
Mahlangu was assaulted during a robbery at her house in Weltevrede, near Siyabuswa on March 19 at about 3pm.
“During the robbery, the defenceless pensioner was reportedly assaulted and strangled where her hands were tied with a cord. The suspect then searched her bedroom and took a safe containing a 7.65 mm pistol, as well as an undisclosed amount of cash and bundles of keys then fled the scene.
“She was left helpless and she sustained some injuries on her face but was later found by her granddaughter who alerted the neighbours,” Mohlala said.
Police said the two suspects have been charged with possession of an unlawful firearm and house robbery.
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