Fano Sibisi has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for armed robbery and related charges, following a dramatic arrest that uncovered stolen vehicles and firearms. | Henk Kruger/ Independent Newspapers
Durban — A 54-year-old man has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for robbery in KwaZulu-Natal.
On Friday, the Pietermaritzburg High Court sentenced Fano Sibisi to 20 years direct imprisonment for robbery with aggravating circumstances, two counts of theft, and the unlawful possession of firearm and ammunition.
The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI- Hawks) KZN spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Simphiwe Mhlongo said that on February 8, 2016, Sibisi and his accomplice accosted and robbed a security guard who was going to load cash in the Automated Teller Machine (ATM) at Symons Centre in Pietermaritzburg.
Seven days later a joint operation was conducted around Pietermaritzburg and Durban. Sibisi was arrested with his accomplice, who later turned State witness.
During the arrest two stolen vehicles, three firearms and R80 000 cash were recovered, Mhlongo said.
Sibisi appeared in court several times until he was sentenced for another unrelated armed robbery.
Sibisi has been incarcerated since then and he was found guilty on Thursday, December 12, 2024.
Sibisi was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment for robbery with aggravating circumstances, 20 years imprisonment for possession of unlicensed firearm, 20 years imprisonment for unlawful possession of ammunition, 10 years imprisonment for theft and 10 years imprisonment for another count of theft.
“His sentences will run concurrently,” Mhlongo said.
At the time of the incident, KZN police said that on February 8, 2016, at about 11.30am, at Symons Centre, the security guard was on his way to the ATM machine with cash when he was approached by the suspects. The guard was disarmed and an undisclosed amount of cash was taken from him. The suspects fled the scene on foot. A case of armed robbery was opened at the Pietermaritzburg police station.
Police said that on February 16, 2016, the eThekwini Region Crime Intelligence Task Team in conjunction with the National Mobile Train Unit and Pietermaritzburg Hawks conducted an intelligence-driven operation at Inanda, Ntuzuma, KwaMashu, uMlazi, Mpumalanga KZN and Pietermaritzburg areas.
The team traced the wanted suspects in connection with an armed robbery case where a G4S security guard was robbed of an undisclosed amount of cash.
A total of five wanted suspects aged between 34 and 46 years were eventually arrested for armed robbery, possession of unlicensed firearms and ammunition and possession of property suspected to be stolen.
Police said that during the operation, a suspected stolen Kia bakkie and a Toyota Avanza, suspected to have been stolen in Mayville, were also recovered. Two 9mm pistols, a Rossi .38 special and 112 live rounds of ammunition were recovered.
Cash suspected to have been taken during the robbery was also recovered from the suspects.
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