A 53-year-old Mpumalanga man has been sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of a 14-year-old boy on a farm in Kamhlushwa, in the Nkomazi area.
Sarrel Petrus Du Plessis was sentenced on Tuesday by the Mpumalanga High Court for killing Bhekimuzi Ziko in December 2018.
Provincial police spokesperson Colonel Donald Mdhluli said Du Plessis was employed as a security guard when he fatally shot Ziko using an unlicensed firearm.
“He further tried to kill those that were with Ziko, however, he failed as they ran for their lives,” said Mdhluli.
He said Du Plessis was arrested three days after the shooting and he was subsequently found guilty on June 20, 2023.
He was also found guilty on three counts of attempted murder, and was handed a 30-year sentence for the charge.
“For a count of possession of unlicensed firearm, he was sentenced to five years imprisonment. For a count of possession of unlicensed ammunition, he was sentenced to three years imprisonment,” said Mdhluli.
Meanwhile, the acting provincial police commissioner, Major General Zeph Mkhwanazi, welcomed the sentence and said it would serve as a deterrence to others who might consider emulating the actions of Du Plessis .
"The subject regarding firearms are a concern to us because these weapons are often used in the commission of violent crimes. We hope that this sentence will somehow bring closure to the victim's family,’’ said Mkhwanazi.
IOL News