Cape Town -
A man accused of terrorising people across the Western Cape for more than 15 years by robbing, raping or killing them is expected to go on trial in the Western Cape High Court.
Siyabulela Sandlana faces two cases in the high court. The first has 17 counts, including aggravated robbery, attempted murder, rape and the illegal possession of firearms and ammunition, dating back to 1998.
According to the State’s summary of facts, Sandlana is alleged to have:
* Accosted two women at gunpoint and robbed them of a case of beer in February 1998.
* Fired a number of shots in Gugulethu in May 1998, injuring a young boy in both legs.
* Raped a Khayelitsha woman at gunpoint in June 2007.
* Threatened to kill a woman who was with him in his flat in Brackenfell, unless she had sex with him. He allegedly raped her. This was in 2008.
* Followed a man who had withdrawn R10 500 from a bank in Lansdowne and robbed him of the cash at gunpoint, on August 13, 2011.
* Stole a white Citi Golf from a woman in Somerset West, also in August 2011. The vehicle was found in Milnerton later that day after being used in a robbery. In that instance a Milnerton man was robbed of R4 000.
* Caught in possession of an AK47 last year and later released on bail. Soon afterwards Sandlana approached a man in Gugulethu with a firearm. The man tried to get away but was killed in the process.
* In September 2012, a Bothasig couple were robbed of a television set, a sound system, a laptop, eight bottles of red wine and their Mercedes-Benz car, among other things.
Sandlana had allegedly used the stolen Mercedes-Benz to rob a convenience store in Eerste River the next month. Three firearms were later also discovered.
The second case against Sandlana involves him and another man, Vukile Simakuhle. Sandlana and Simakuhle are alleged to have killed a 21-year-old Khayelitsha man in a botched robbery last October.
The men, who are behind bars, are expected to appear in the high court for a pre-trial hearing on Friday.
jade.otto@inl.co.za
Cape Argus