Two Limpopo policemen who robbed a number of shops while in uniform in 2016 were each sentenced to eight years’ imprisonment on Friday in the Matlala regional court.

In the first incident, on July 20 2016 at Boslag-Matlala, Lecton Ramasenya, 40, and Frans Seema, 35, stationed at Matlala police station near Polokwane, went on a robbery spree at a village, targeting Indian-owned shops.

“Ramasenya and Seema, on duty, wearing uniforms and driving a police vehicle, approached a shop owner under the pretence the owner was selling dagga,” National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Mashudu Malabi-Dzhangi said. 

She said once they were inside, the accused ordered the owner to lie down while they took cigarettes, airtime cards and cellphones. 

In the second incident, the accused followed a warehouse owner and stole his stock.

During the trial, the accused pleaded not guilty and remained silent.

In aggravation of sentence state advocate Andisa Mudau submitted that the accused were law enforcement officers who were supposed to uphold the law but instead broke the law.

Mudau said this conduct, especially by law enforcement officers, made the community lose confidence in the justice system.

“The NPA welcomes the sentence and hopes this will deter would-be offenders, and applauds the good work of warrant officer Leseba Rakapule and Andisa Mudau,” Malabi-Dzhangi said. 

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