A man will serve a life prison sentence for killing another man in a “senseless” Boksburg incident.
The victim was shot on the evening of 10 December 2022, after his assailant and an accomplice attacked him while parked along the roadside.
In handing down the sentence, the magistrate stressed the need to protect society from those who would carelessly take the life of another.
Friends needed the toilet
Reekelelitswe John Dingane and his accomplice approached a group of people who had stopped on the side of a road near Lilianton at roughly 8.30pm.
Members of the group are believed to have needed to relieve themselves and while doing so Dingane and the other man pulled their guns on the group.
The name of the victim was not revealed by the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), but he was shot while resisting the robbery, with the two men fleeing the scene.
A police patrol vehicle was within ear-shot of the incident and immediately headed to the scene to assist.
Information shared by community members guided officers as they chased the suspects into nearby informal dwellings, where Dingane’s accomplice was killed while trying to escape.
Dingane was arrested and later convicted of murder, robbery with aggravating circumstances and three counts of attempted murder.
Sentence to ‘prevent violence’
The sentence was handed down in the Vosloorus Regional Court on 10 October.
District Court Prosecutor Mduduzi Mnyandu used eyewitness accounts to present seal Dingane’s fate.
“Magistrate Harichand emphasised the need for accountability and the importance of protecting the community from individuals who commit such heinous acts,” stated Gauteng NPA spokesperson Phindi Mjonondwane.
“The court’s decision is a step toward justice for the victims and a reminder that we must continue to work together with society to prevent violence in our community,” she concluded.
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