A combination, of cutting edge technology from SAPS Forensic laboratory and Investigative prowess from the Hawks resulted in a successful conviction for a serial offender on Wednesday. This follows the sentencing of Matota Mechock Sithole, 42, for an effective 15 years imprisonment by the Mossel Bay Regional Court after he was found guilty for a series of business burglaries committed between 2013 and 2014 in the Southern Cape areas.
In the said period a well-known chain of stores suffered serious losses after a syndicate would forcefully gain entrance through the roofs, damage alarm systems, grind safes open before making off with substantial amount of money and various valuables.
Sithole’s criminal spree came to an abrupt end when he inadvertently left crucial evidence at one of the crime scenes. He had apparently helped himself to a bottle of cool drink which subsequently linked him to the burglary via DNA testing upon his arrest in 2014.
Sithole was successfully linked to three other business burglaries around Da-Gamaskop, Hartenbos and Ladismith Areas. Background checks also revealed that he was a career criminal in Gauteng where he originates from. He has further been declared unfit to possess a firearm. The National Head of the Hawks Lieutenant General Mthandazo Ntlemeza welcomed the sentence and also hailed the forensic team for the positive linkage that led to this conviction. “It shows that when we optimally utilize what is at our disposal including forensics, criminals will have nowhere to hide” he said.
