The trial of ten men accused of carrying out the audacious Malamulele police station robbery — in which firearms were stolen and later used in a string of violent crimes — is set to begin in the Polokwane High Court next week.
According to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), the accused face a staggering 94 charges, including robbery with aggravating circumstances, murder, attempted murder, possession of unlicensed firearms and ammunition, conspiracy to commit robbery, and possession of explosives.
The men — Fokisi Godfrey Mabunda (40), Tshepho Mamila Masha (23), Gardon Tumpi Makutu (51), Desmond Teleki Phala (35), Lucas Kotoane Mahabane (42), Tebogo Frederick Ramalatso (42), Nicholas Maharaji Manzini (35), Tshepiso Matemana (31), and Lesley Dimakatso Leshabane (40) — allegedly overpowered officers at the Malamulele police station between 2021 and 2022, stealing several firearms from the station’s safe.
NPA regional spokesperson Mashudu Malabi-Dzhangi said the stolen firearms were later used in a series of armed robberies targeting petrol stations, hardware stores, restaurants, and motorists across Limpopo and Mpumalanga, including towns such as Giyani, Sekgosese, Bolobedu, Waterval, and Bushbuckridge.
“During these robberies, the suspects allegedly stole cash, cellphones, and jewellery while threatening victims with the stolen firearms. They were later arrested on 18 January 2022 and found in possession of several firearms and ammunition,” Malabi-Dzhangi said. Ballistics tests linked the recovered weapons to multiple crime scenes.
The trial, delayed by forensic investigations and legal processes, is expected to run for about three weeks, starting on 3 November 2025.
The Malamulele police station robbery shocked the country in 2021, raising serious concerns about the safety of officers and the security of weapons stored in police facilities.
At the time, police spokesperson Colonel Athlenda Mathe confirmed that officers on duty were held at gunpoint and forced to hand over R5 rifles, pistols, shotguns, and ammunition. Some were bundled into a police van as the robbers emptied the station’s safe before fleeing and carrying out further robberies in the area.
All ten suspects remain in custody pending trial.
