Highway gang plead not guilty

2003-02-25 20:03

Kroonstad - Seven members of a gang, who allegedly terrorised truck drivers for 14 months on the N1 and N3 highways in the Free State, pleaded not guilty to 54 charges against them in the Kroonstad Circuit Court on Tuesday.

The charges ranged from murder to abduction and armed robbery.

An eighth accused, who turned State witness, testified before Judge Faan Hancke about how the gang members hijacked trucks and stole the load during a reign of terror across the Free State between November 1999 and January 2001. The men are believed to have stolen property worth about R25m.

David Dube, who is himself accused of being involved in robbing seven of 22 trucks, told the court that the gang members did not hesitate to shoot truck drivers at the slightest hint of resistance.

He also said that he and his family had received death threats from the other gang members.

Dube was the first of the gang to be arrested shortly after the killing of a truck driver in a failed hijacking outside Kroonstad in July 2001.

He told the court he was arrested after receiving a cellphone call from a man purporting to be an MTN representative, who told him he had won a prize.

In his excitement, Dube gave his home and work addresses to the caller. When he was not contacted again, he called the cellphone company to enquire.

Insufficient evidence

An investigating officer in fact made the call to Dube's cellphone to trace his whereabouts. His number was traced after one of the syndicate members allegedly called him from the murder scene outside Kroonstad.

Investigating officers, who worked for two years on the case, often throughout the night, said they believed that members of the syndicate, who had evaded capture, were still active in other parts of the country, including Gauteng.

On Tuesday, Dube linked two more men, who were initially arrested but were later freed because of insufficient evidence, to the gang.

Dube, Albert Mudau, Zakhele Nkosi, Mavis Mbokazi, Bongani Yaka, Lithiwe Mbatha, Richard Maseko and Jabu Dhlamini were arrested between July 2001 to July last year. The majority are from Thokoza on the East Rand.

The men are also accused of contravening the Organised Crime Act for operating a syndicate.

Dube said syndicate members used cellphones to keep in contact during hijackings, and often transported extra diesel that drove behind a truck that was to be hijacked.

The men also, on occasion, wore traffic police uniforms and drove a car with a blue light, Dube said.

The trial continues on Wednesday.

- SAPA