Long term in jail for Freddy Mulaudzi

The stokvel robbery case against four accused was finalised last week in the Sibasa Regional Court, where Freddy Mulovhedzi (55), Fulufhelo Mulovhedzi (22), and Lufuno Mavhunge (29) were all sentenced.

The fourth accused, Ms Vhulahani Ndou (40), was acquitted after the court arrived at the conclusion that there was not sufficient evidence to link her to the case.

According to the spokesperson of the Levubu Police, W/O Solly Mukhola, Freddy Mulovhedzi was sentenced to 32 years' imprisonment. A 22-year jail term was handed down on Mavhunge. Fhulufhelo Mulovhedzi, who is Freddy Mulovhedzi's son, was given two years in jail, with an option of paying a R1 500 fine.

The three convicts and Ndou were arrested pursuant to a robbery case which had happened at the home of the local stokvel’s treasurer, Mrs Joyce Mukwevho, in Tshakhuma-Luvhalani on 3 October in 2012. Mukwevho and her daughter Aluwani were awakened by men who assaulted them with an iron bar and demanded money.

The two ladies eventually handed them R28 000, which reportedly belonged to the localstokvel. Mukwevho and her daughter were seriously injured during the robbery and Mukwevho was consequently hospitalised for six days.

All the other accused were arrested after Mulovhedzi (jr) was found in possession of a stolen cellphone belonging to Mukwevho. The phone was taken in the night of the robbery, and Mulovhedzi (jr) said that he had received the phone from his father, who was with Mavhunge.

Ndou was initially linked to the case after it was alleged that she had colluded with the three men to rob the money. The case was postponed many times for the trial to continue and for witnesses to testify about the accused who had entered Mukwevho's house on the night of the incident.

Aluwani, a post-matric student, said she was relieved that the case had come to an end. “It was stressful because I had to travel from another province to come back here to attend court,” she said. “Now my mother and I just need to focus on our lives.”

At the time of his arrest, Mulovhedzi (snr) was on parole after serving more than 10 years in jail for a similar crime.

Date:02 October 2015

By: Tshifhiwa Mukwevho

Tshifhiwa Given Mukwevho was born in 1984 in Madombidzha village, not far from Louis Trichardt in the Limpopo Province. After submitting articles for roughly a year for Limpopo Mirror's youth supplement, Makoya, he started writing for the main newspaper. He is a prolific writer who published his first book, titled A Traumatic Revenge in 2011. It focusses on life on the street and how to survive amidst poverty. His second book titled The Violent Gestures of Life was published in 2014.

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