CAPE TOWN - The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) has confirmed that a man who impersonated a soldier was sentenced to five years' imprisonment on Thursday in Pretoria.
Irvin Thapelo Mokgosi was charged with falsely representing himself as an SANDF member and found to be in possession of the SANDF uniform with the distinguished crests and marks, which is a punishable offence.
According to SANDF spokesperson Colonel Ronald Maseko, Mokgosi was arrested on May 17 last year.
“The military police arrested Mr Irvin Thapelo Mokgosi during the clearing-in procedure of 21 South African Infantry Battalion soldiers at Tshwane Regiment in Thaba Tshwane, Pretoria, on Friday, 17 May, 2019, for contravening Section 104 (5.) (9.) of the Defence Act 42 of 2000 read with Section 1 of the same act,” Maseko said.
Mokgosi was absent from court. His lawyer pleaded guilty to all charges on his behalf and entered into a plea bargain with the state prosecutor.
“In his absence on May 14, 2020, his lawyer pleaded guilty to all charges preferred against Mr Mokgosi and submitted a plea bargain in terms of section 105A of the Criminal Procedures Act on his behalf,” Maseko said.
Mokgosi was sentenced to five years in jail and was found unfit to possess a firearm in terms of the Firearms Control Act.
This sentence was welcomed by the chief of the SANDF, General Solly Shoke, who warned that crime will not be tolerated or go unpunished within the SANDF.
Shoke said wearing any of the SANDF uniforms or any military paraphernalia is a punishable offence if you’re not a member of the SANDF.