Supermarket raiders who beat Kenhardt shop owner with a hammer get 10 and 15 years
Five men were convicted in the Upington High Court for the June 2024 attack in which a shop owner, his wife, their son and a customer were threatened and assaulted before cash was taken.
Five men have been convicted and sentenced for a violent attack on a shop owner, his wife, their son and a customer at a supermarket in Kenhardt on 19 June 2024, the South African Police Service said in a statement issued through the Office of the Provincial Commissioner for the Northern Cape.
The court heard that a group of six men entered the supermarket at about 18:30 and demanded money. Armed with firearms, they threatened the victims and assaulted the shop owner and his son with a hammer and a steel pipe before fleeing with cash and other items.
Kenhardt SAPS acted on information received and apprehended the suspects the following day, according to the statement. During the arrest one of the suspects fired shots at police, who retaliated and fatally wounded him.
The five who were convicted are Lindokuhle Dlomo (26), Sabelo Hlambisa (33), Msizi Hlongwane (29), Khayelihle Dladla (37) and Jabulani Shabalala (39).
On Friday, 30 October 2026, the five were convicted in the Upington High Court on charges that included robbery with aggravating circumstances, assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, murder, unlawful possession of a firearm and unlawful possession of ammunition.
Dlomo and Shabalala were sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment each. Hlambisa, Hlongwane and Dladla were each sentenced to 15 years.
The investigation was led by Captain Beulah Williams of the Provincial Serious and Violent Crime Unit, who was commended for investigative work the statement credits with helping secure the convictions.
Contact-related crimes remain a priority for SAPS, the statement said, and detectives will continue to work with prosecutors to bring perpetrators before the courts.
The account above is drawn from the police statement summarising the case, not from the court record itself. The canonical statement is published at https://www.saps.gov.za/newsroom/msspeechdetail.php?nid=72233. Enquiries on the statement are directed to Colonel Cherelle Ehlers on 082 448 5179.
