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The man who was spotted on a viral video carting stolen Woolworths goods to his luxury Mercedes Benz during the 2021 riots in Kwazulu Natal, has pleaded guilty in the Durban Regional Court.
The National Prosecuting Authority said 32-year-old Mbuso Moloi pleaded guilty to charges of theft and contravening road traffic regulations when he appeared in court on Wednesday.
NPA spokesperson, Natasha Ramkisson-Kara, said Moloi’s plea “relates to the theft of certain household items from a Woolworths store in the Davenport area during the acts of public violence and looting that took place in various parts of KwaZulu-Natal in July 2021.”
She said he contravened road traffic regulations by not having the requisite license plates for the vehicle, a Mercedes Benz coupe, that he was driving at the time of the commission of the offence.
She said Moloi said in his plea statement that on the day, he and his friend were driving around with the intention of purchasing some items.
“When they drove into Davenport, he noticed that people were emerging from a Woolworths store. At the spur of the moment, he stopped his vehicle and went into that store.”
According to his statement, he picked up a plastic shopping basket and filled it with a few items before leaving the store “without paying” and driving away.
“His explanation for the car license plates was that he had failed to replace the ‘dealer plates’ with the relevant/correct license plates allocated to the vehicle,” she said.
Moloi's vehicle was also forfeited to the state following a court application by the NPA's asset forfeiture unit.
The matter was postponed to 31 May 2023 for pre-sentencing reports and Moloi's bail was extended.
