A KwaZulu-Natal man who was thrust into the spotlight after a video of him looting items from Woolworths in Glenwood, Durban, during the July 2021 unrest has been sentenced to three years' imprisonment, suspended for five years.
The sentence was delivered in the Durban magistrate's court on Friday.
Mbuso Moloi, 33, who pleaded guilty to theft and contravening the Road Management Act, was also ordered to pay R1,000 in relation to the latter charge.
Magistrate Melanie de Jager said Moloi’s offence was serious and called for a just sentence.
She said circumstances showed he made the “biggest” mistake, one that proved to be shattering as it humiliated his family, members of which were present when he was sentenced.
In his plea, Moloi said he “acted on a spur of the moment” and “impulsively”.
In arriving at her sentence, De Jager said she took into account social workers' reports which described the accused as humble and a suitable candidate for a suspended sentence.
However, she was concerned Moloi did not play open cards.
“What you told the court was that you stole a juice and washing powder. But clearly there were many items in the boot of the car,” said de Jager.
“You [Moloi) knew what was happening. The court can therefore not close its eyes to those circumstances. The offence was opportunistic,” she said.
While there have been mixed reactions regarding whether Moloi should serve time in jail or receive a suspended sentence, De Jager said society should take into account that the unrest affected many people.
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