Murderer sentenced to 12 years direct imprisonment
The Nelspruit High Court sentenced Sandile Nkenjane Khoza (19) to 12 years direct imprisonment for murdering an Ethopian shopkeeper. The incident took place in September 2016 at Magogeni Trust near the clinic in Nkomazi district, Nelspruit.
The accused went to buy toiletries at the shop that was run by the deceased. The deceased short-changed Khoza after he gave him a R100 note. The victim was dismissive towards the accused whereupon the accused picked up a knife which was lying nearby and stabbed the deceased in the chest and fled the scene with the knife.
On his arrest he handed the knife to the police and pleaded guilty to the offence. In aggravation of sentence, Advocate Ashwin Poodhun led evidence of the deceased’s brother who told the court that at the time of his death the deceased was gainfully employed in his shop as a shopkeeper.
Handing down the sentence, Judge Desmond Nair said, small business owners must be protected from needless violence. He went on to say it is pity that someone had lost his life over the change remaining from a R100. He then sentenced the accused to 12 years direct imprisonment and declared him unfit to possess a firearm.
The NPA welcomes the sentence and believes that it will send a strong message to the public that foreign nationals who are in South Africa are also human beings and are equally protected by the criminal justice system.
Enquiries:
Monica Nyuswa
Spokesperson DPP Mpumalanga
E-mail: mnyuswa@npa.gov.za
Cell: 076 485 5446
