After 3 years, the two sadistic black killers of Greek immigrant Georgios Savvides; and the two attempted murderers of Afrikaner Leon van der Merwe get to spend a lifetime in prison. And if it hadn't been for a very alert, active community-watch, these two vicious killers would never have been caught...
June 7 2014 - SAPA reports from Pretoria - Two (*black) South African men who killed elderly Greek immigrant George Savvides and also would have executed Afrikaner resident Leon van der Merwe - except their gun failed - were sentenced to life imprisonment by the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria on Friday.
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( George Savvidis murder: pagegrab from Beeld Afrikaans news paper: March 31 2011: http://nolstuijt.wordpress.com/2011/03/31/george-savvides-63-shot-dead-wonderboom/ )
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Judge Ferdi Preller sentenced Mamelodi, Pretoria resident Moetla Richard Donald Mokalapa, 23, of Mamelodi to two terms of life imprisonment on charges of murder and rape.
Mokalapa was sentenced to a further 138 years' imprisonment on charges of attempted murder, four of robbery with aggravating circumstances,
and unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition.
Atteridgeville resident Alex Maila 29, was sentenced to life imprisonment for "raping a woman in one of the houses they robbed."
(The woman was not identified.)
He was also sentenced to 107 years on three charges of robbery with aggravating circumstances and unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition.
Mokalapa admitted that he had broken into the home of Georgios Savvides and his wife Emmerentia in March 2011.
He said Maila shot Mr Savvides in the stomach through his bedroom door when he peeped out after hearing his wife scream for help in another room. He died on the scene.
Maila denied guilt on the murder charge and also denied breaking into the Savvides' home.
Tried to execute Afrikaner resident Leon van der Merwe but gun failed: in June 2011
Both men admitted to breaking into other homes and robbing the owners at gunpoint, and trying to
murder Sinoville homeowner Leon van der Merwe after breaking into his home in June 2011.
Mokalapa said in a statement he had put his gun to Van der Merwe's head and pulled the trigger "when Van der Merwe tried to fight back".
The shot did not go off.
Judge Preller said their previous 'deferred sentences' clearly had not stopped them from their crimes. He was not surprised that both were unemployed, given how busy they were committing crime.
They had not co-operated with the police and never offered to show where their loot could be found, or to point out who had bought it.
Van der Merwe's wife Magriet and son Leon, who attended sentencing, expressed relief that the two had been removed from society.
Magriet van der Merwe said the case proved how "empowering it could be to be part of an active community watch and community policing forum.
" Mokalapa and Maila were caught a few blocks from their house after residents blocked the streets throughout the night and helped police.
Magriet said the incident had negatively affected her husband's health but she did not hate the two, because then she would become like them.
- SAPA http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/Killer-gets-life-138-years-20140607
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