A determined victim took matters into his own hands when he was robbed at gunpoint in August 2023, tracking down the thieves who had stolen his cell phone and wallet. The incident occurred on 16 August, when the victim was cornered by two armed men as he made his way to catch a taxi to work. The robbers took his Nokia 5 cellphone, wallet, and R300 in cash before walking away without a second glance.
However, the victim wasn’t ready to let the incident go. Despite the shock of the robbery, he followed the thieves as they casually walked away. Unbeknownst to the criminals, the victim trailed one of the robbers, who had his phone and wallet in his possession. The thief, seemingly unaware, walked toward his home—only to be confronted by the victim once he arrived.
The victim demanded his stolen items back, and when the thief tried to deny having them, his mother intervened. She took the phone from her son and handed it back to the victim, who was then able to recover both his cell phone and wallet. In a desperate attempt to escape, the thief fled the scene, clutching the wallet with the R300 cash still inside.
Police spokesperson Captain Nelda Sekgobela confirmed the swift resolution of the case. “Seeing that he was about to lose everything, the suspect ran out of the house, but the victim was already on his tail,” she said. The victim wasted no time in opening a case at the Daveyton Police Station, and just two days later, the suspect, 29-year-old Mpho Kalisa, was arrested.
The case was assigned to Detective Sergeant Emmanuel Ramaru of the Daveyton police, who worked diligently to secure a conviction. On 18 August 2023, Kalisa was found guilty of robbery with aggravated circumstances in the Benoni Regional Court and sentenced to 10 years in prison. However, two years of the sentence were suspended for five years, contingent upon Kalisa not committing the same offense during the suspension period.
The victim expressed his relief and satisfaction with the outcome, noting, “I’m happy that justice was served, and I hope this serves as a lesson to others who think they can get away with crime.” The case stands as a testament to the power of persistence and the role that community involvement can play in bringing criminals to justice.
