Man gets eight-year sentence for armed robbery at Bluff mall

Down on his luck, Sicelo Mpanza agreed to commit a crime with two of his friends.

In September 2023, he stole a bag from the women, however, she chased after him in her car and collided with him. He was arrested and her bag was returned to her.

The Durban Regional Court sentenced Mpanza, 28, to an effective eight years imprisonment after he pleaded guilty to the robbery with aggravating circumstances he committed in the Bluff area.

Natasha Ramkisson-Kara, regional spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), said in his plea, Mpanza said he was at the shopping centre in the Bluff with two friends that he had recently met when they plotted the robbery.

She said his friends planned on robbing someone so they could sell the stolen items for money.

Since he was going through a difficult time and did not have money, Mpanza decided to join them. The one friend who owned a motor vehicle dropped them off at the shopping centre. They agreed that this motor vehicle would be their getaway car from the scene should they need to flee.

“Mpanza said that his other friend spotted the complainant, going to her motor vehicle and driving to the boom gate. They decided to rob her as she was carrying a handbag and wearing a necklace. His friend carried a gun and together they approached the complainant. They went to the driver’s side window of the motor vehicle and pointed the gun at her,” said Ms Ramkisson-Kara.

“Mpanza said that he leaned in and grabbed her handbag while his friend grabbed her necklace. Mpanza fled the scene with the handbag, but the complainant followed him with her car and in chasing him, collided with him. He fell to the ground because he was injured in the collision and dropped her handbag. The handbag was picked up by someone nearby and returned to the complainant.”

Mpanza was arrested shortly after, and his friend fled the scene in the getaway vehicle, taking the necklace with them.

In his plea, Mpanza admitted that at the time of the offence, he knew that his actions were unlawful, wrongful, and intentional; and that the stolen items were the property of the complainant.

He also admitted that he acted in common purpose with the others to commit the robbery. In aggravation of sentence, Prosecutor Vishalan Moodley, handed in a Victim Impact Statement, compiled by the complainant and facilitated by Court Preparation Officer, Prudence Geraud.

“In her statement, the complainant said that since the incident she is fearful to go out and experiences a lot of anxiety. She said that before the incident she was very social, outgoing, and felt free to move around within her community, however, things have since changed and she is now anxious when she leaves her home,” said Ms Ramkisson-Kara.

In sentencing Mpanza to eight years of direct imprisonment, the court deviated from the minimum sentence of 15 years imprisonment; citing Mpanza’s age and the fact that he pleaded guilty as substantial and compelling reasons for the deviation.

In addition to the sentence, Mpanza was deemed unfit to possess a firearm.