20-year prison sentence for Zwelethemba man who stabbed teen during robbery

A Zwelethemba man who stabbed a teenage boy and robbed two victims in separate incidents has been sentenced to an effective 20 years’ direct imprisonment by the Worcester Regional Court.

National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila, who issued the statement on Wednesday, confirmed that Xolani Mthethwa was convicted on two counts of robbery with aggravating circumstances.

The court heard that on March 28, 2022, Mthethwa was part of a group of five to six men when they confronted a 15-year-old who was walking home with his younger brother and sister in Mtwazi Street, Zwelethemba.

Regional court prosecutor Cornelius Prinsloo led evidence that the teenager was stabbed in the stomach and robbed of his cellphone. The victim was rushed to hospital with serious, life-threatening injuries.

His younger brother later identified the accused during a photo identification parade.

Four months later, on July 2, 2022, the State proved that Mthethwa approached his cousin and asked her for money. When she said she did not have any, he later confronted her while she was walking with a friend in Kalo Street, Zwelethemba, and robbed her of her cellphone.

She reported the matter to police the same day. Officers, who were already searching for Mthethwa in connection with the earlier robbery, arrested him shortly afterwards.

To protect the minor witness from further trauma, the first victim’s brother testified via a closed-circuit television system in a closed court session, assisted by an intermediary.

The NPA’s Court Preparation Officer, Azraa Majiet, together with Andiswa Sitole, provided support services to the victims during the trial.

In aggravation of sentence, Prinsloo argued that the matter warranted a strong punitive response, particularly given the life-threatening injuries suffered by the minor.

The court agreed, finding no substantial and compelling circumstances to deviate from the prescribed minimum sentence on the first count. It further ruled that the interests of justice would not be served if the sentences were to run concurrently, as the second robbery was committed months later. The sentences were therefore ordered to run consecutively.

“The NPA welcomes the sentence and emphasises its continued efforts to ensure justice for the most vulnerable in society,” Ntabazalila said.

The NPA did not name the victims. The first complainant is a minor, and authorities cited fears of reprisals in the area where the accused is known and alleged to be affiliated with a criminal gang.

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