Convicted robber gets new shot at reducing 30-year jail term after SCA ruling

The Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) has cleared the way for a convicted armed robber to challenge the length of his prison sentence, overturning an earlier decision that blocked his bid to appeal. Ezhiah Skhumbuzo Mvubu, who is currently serving an effective 30-year term, will now have his case reconsidered by the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) High Court in Pietermaritzburg. Mvubu and his brother were tried in the Newcastle Regional Court on a range of serious charges stemming from an incident in 2008.

Evidence presented during the trial showed that the pair stormed a Pick n Pay store, where they assaulted employees before making off with R48 474.12 in cash. Mvubu was arrested the following day, on 15 February 2008, in Volksrust after being found in possession of firearms and ammunition. Following his conviction, Mvubu received multiple sentences: 15 years for three counts of robbery with aggravating circumstances; 15 years for firearm-related offences involving R5 automatic assault rifles and a semi-automatic LM rifle; one year for possession of 66 rounds of ammunition; and five years for vehicle theft.

Although some of these sentences were ordered to run concurrently, the overall structure resulted in an effective term of 30 years. The regional court further ruled that he must serve at least two-thirds of this term before becoming eligible for parole. Mvubu’s attempts to challenge his sentence in both the regional court and the high court were unsuccessful.

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In 2022, he escalated the matter to the SCA, focusing his appeal on the severity of the sentences for robbery and vehicle theft. His legal representatives argued that there were reasonable prospects that another court might impose a different sentence.

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