Remanded in prison since 2022 for stealing a TV, a petty thief is now a free man after the Molepolole Magistrates Court gave him a three-year sentence. Having already served the time, Ipelegeng Nthoiwa, who pleaded guilty to burglary and stealing from a dwelling house, was subsequently released.
The 35-year-old will likely spend his first days of freedom at the clinic receiving treatment for a sore bottom as part of his punishment included four strokes of the cane on the bare buttocks!
It was heard that late on the evening of April 9, 2022, Nthoiwa, along with three other men, broke into Sennana Ntesang’s house after she had retired to bed. Ntesang was roused from her slumber at around 0200hrs, hearing movements inside the house. Passing the sounds off as her son watching TV, she fell back asleep only to be woken a little later by a loud bang coming from the sitting room.
Nervously leaving her bedroom to investigate the noise, she realized her 55-inch LG television had been stolen. She then discovered her son had not locked the door after leaving for his own house. Ntesang reported the robbery to Thamaga Police, who made a quick breakthrough in the case. The cops managed to arrest the suspects the very next day, reportedly finding the stolen TV set in their vehicle during a routine police stop in Mogoditshane.
When questioned, Nthoiwa told the police he took the television from a house in Thamaga.
Handing down his sentence, Principal Magistrate Solomon Setshedi mixed justice with mercy, noting it was Nthoiwa’s first time to break the law. “He is a young offender; I hope that if given a second chance he will find a better way to live. However, the accused stands convicted of serious offenses, the maximum penalty for burglary 14 years imprisonment plus corporal punishment. The maximum statutory punishment for the offense of stealing from a dwelling house is 10 years imprisonment,” highlighted the Magistrate.
Fearing the worst, Nthoiwa smiled in relief when the court sentenced him to five years behind bars, wholly suspending two of the years. He was also given another two years for burglary. However, both sentences were backdated to the time of his incarceration, meaning he was free to leave.
There was a painful twist in the tale though, as the Magistrate ordered he be whipped four times, a sobering prospect on a chilly morning.
Meanwhile, Nthoiwa’s co-accused: Baliki Letshoo, 38, Dineo Thakadu, 23, and Keaobaka Gaename, 31, all pleaded not guilty. Currently out on bail, the trio’s trial continues on September 9.
