Moyo had tough childhood, court told
2013-03-19 18:19
Pretoria - Serial escapee Bongani Moyo had a difficult
childhood in Zimbabwe, the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria heard on
Tuesday.
Testifying in his sentencing proceedings, Moyo, 31, told
Judge Natvarlal Ranchod he was raised in Bulawayo.
His parents separated when he was five and his family
struggled financially.
"I was born in a very poor family. I only attended [primary]
school for four years. I was raised by my father and stepmother.
"My father was a farmer, he would sell the crops he
cultivated. I did not progress with school because of [lack of] money. In
school I was not bright. I always failed."
He was testifying after he and Khumbulani Sibanda entered
into a plea bargain, in terms of which they plead guilty to charges of
racketeering, robbery with aggravating circumstances, possession of unlicensed
firearms, and escaping from custody.
They robbed several banks in Gauteng and the North West
in 2011, after escaping from Boksburg prison in March that year.
The soft-spoken Moyo told the court he was a widower,
like Sibanda.
"I have two children, a boy and a girl. The boy,
aged seven, is handicapped and now stays with my stepmother. He cannot move and
oozes saliva all the time. My wife died in 2010," Moyo said.
"It is tough now [for the boy]. I had hired someone
to take care of him and used to pay the person. My stepmother is
unemployed."
When he moved to South Africa, Moyo said he survived by
"shooting pictures".
He is expected to submit further evidence after an
adjournment.
Earlier, Sibanda begged the court to be merciful when
sentencing him.
He was the first to take the witness stand, during
arguments in mitigation and aggravation of their sentences.
The pair has spent close to two years in jail, serving
time for other robberies.
- SAPA
