July unrest: KZN taxi drive handed five years sentence for transporting looters

A taxi driver who used his vehicle to transport looters during the July 2021 unrest in KwaZulu-Natal has been sentenced to five years’ imprisonment. The 24-year-old man was handed an effective 5-year sentence by the Durban Regional Court for theft in the Mboneni industrial area during the July unrest.

Natasha Ramkisoon-Kara, KwaZulu-Natal National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson said Lungelo Nthenga pleaded guilty to three counts of theft at the Durban Regional Court. Ramkisoon-Kara said in his plead, Nthenga said he was a taxi driver and that during the unrest he used his vehicle to transport people to the Mboneni business industrial area in the South Coast Road where they had the opportunity to loot.

“He was arrested when his vehicle was stopped at a roadblock during a stop and search operation conducted by the police in order to deter looting conduct. His vehicle was loaded with tinned fish, rice, as well as items from the surrounding warehouses that were looted,” said Ramkisoon-Kara.

During the court proceedings, Regional Court prosecutor Kuveshni Pillay presented statistics from the South African Property Owners Association (SOPAO) which showed that an amount of R50 billion was lost during the July 2021 unrest. She said as a result of the looting during the unrest there was a loss in foreign investment and tourism.

“The NPA welcomes this outcome as it reaffirms the rule of law in our country,” said Ramkisoon-Kara.

Doctor Mahlaule

Doctor Mahlaule previously worked as a Freelance Journalist at Find-it SA where he was responsible for writing news articles and sharing them on social media platforms. Doctor Mahlaule holds a Diploma in Journalism, BA in Communication Science and a BA Honours in Media Studies. Doctor began his journey as a knowledge Management and Communications Intern at Zenex Foundation. He was responsible for support in event management, social media, website maintenance, writing and brand management. On weekends Doctor attends prison ministry and shares the scriptures with inmates at Krugersdorp prison and plays soccer in the afternoon on some weekends. He has a passion for reading and writing and enjoys going out with friends and socialising in his spare time. He has a one-year-old son and is planning on getting married soon. When asked about what keeps him going, he said: “My family keeps me going. I’m the man I am because I come from a loving home. I have a very supportive family who always encourages me to keep pushing hard.”

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