Jewellery robber slapped with 25 years behind bars

The last accused in the group of men charged with robbery with aggravating circumstances of Munnik Jewellers and the murder of co-owner Charl Munnik has been sentenced to an effective 25 years' imprisonment.

On Tuesday the high court in Cape Town convicted Ndyebo Dotwana on two counts of robbery with aggravating circumstances and murder.

On Wednesday he was sentenced to 20 years' imprisonment for two counts of robbery with aggravating circumstances and 25 years for murder. The court ordered the sentences to run concurrently with the murder sentence.

National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila said Dotwana was charged with co-accused Sicelo Mase, Luyanda Lonzi and Awonke Ziqu for the deadly armed robbery at the jewellery shop in Worcester on January 21 2021.

Lonzi and Dotwana were charged with two counts of robbery with aggravating circumstances, two of illegal possession of firearms and two counts of illegal possession of ammunition and murder. Mase and Ziqu were charged with similar counts and additional counts of illegal possession of a firearm and illegal possession of ammunition.

Police spokesperson Sgt Wesley Twigg said the four barged into the shop, pointed firearms at the staff and stole jewellery worth R60,000.

“During the robbery the shop owner entered the shop and a shoot-out between the owner and the suspects ensued. The shop owner was fatally shot during the shoot-out,” Twigg said.

The suspects fled with the jewellery and the firearm of the victim.

Earlier this month, Mase, Lonzi and Ziqu pleaded guilty to the charges after senior state advocate John Reyneveld tabled damning evidence against them, including video footage which showed them coming out of the shop after the robbery.

The three were each sentenced to 25 years each.

Dotwana opted to challenge the state’s case and his trial resumed on August 15 and culminated in his conviction and sentence this week. 

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