Accused in Ditebogo Phalane case linked to other similar past crimes

The three accused in the Ditebogo Phalane murder trial used a similar modus operandi in other crimes. This is according to Investigating Officer, Sergeant Sevhasa Mashudu, who testified for the State in their bail application underway at the Pretoria North Magistrates’ Court.

They allegedly shot and killed 5-year-old Phalane when they hijacked his father’s bakkie at their home in Soshanguve, North of Pretoria, in May last year.

The three men were arrested after allegedly selling the stolen vehicle for R30,000.

The Investigating Officer testified that the accused persons Elia Maeko, Ali Sithole, and Nido Gumbo, have a history of similar crimes between 2023 and 2024.

He cited specific cases, including an armed robbery in 2023 where they clashed with SAPS officers, theft of an Isuzu vehicle, a firearm, and a cellphone in Marikana, as well as a separate Isuzu vehicle stolen in Hebron in 2024.

Mashudu emphasised that these incidents share similarities with the murder of Ditebogo Phalane, noting that in all cases, the victims were targeted at their homes.