Recent Case: Specific crimes

• Jurisdiction: South Africa
• Pages: 213-220
• Date: 03 September 2019
• Author: Ronald Louw
• Published date: 03 September 2019

Recent Cases

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213

Specific Crimes

RONALD LOUW

University of Natal, Durban

Arms and Ammunition

In

S v Mbuli

2003 (1) SACR 97 (SCA) the court had to consider whether a

hand grenade found in the vehicle of three bank robbers was jointly

possessed by the three accused. On 28 October 1997 a robbery took place at

the Pretoria, Waverly branch of First National Bank. Three people had

entered the bank and forced the tellers to hand over R15 039,82.

Identification of the three was confusing but it was established at least that

one of the three was wearing a blue overall, at least two had handguns, and

one also had a hand grenade (at para 2). While the robbers initially managed

to escape, with the money stashed in a blue canvas bag, they had been

noticed by several people who informed the police. Shortly after the robbery,

police officers stopped a motor vehicle in which the appellant (otherwise

known as the peoples' poet) and two others were traveling. The evidence of

the state was that when the vehicle was stopped, after having attempted to

escape the police, three pistols, the blue canvas bag, a pair of blue overalls

and a hand grenade were found in the appellant's motor vehicle. Although

(2003) 16 SACJ 213

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