Life imprisonment would be the only appropriate punishment for a police officer found guilty of murdering his girlfriend in 2014, the Western Cape High Court heard yesterday.
Prosecutor Moeketsi Moeketsi pleaded with Judge Nolwazi Boqwana not to deviate from the minimum prescribed sentence, which is life imprisonment for a premeditated murder.
Lindani Nakani was convicted last week for shooting dead Busiswa Centane while she was seated in her silver Toyota Yaris on July 3, 2014, a stone’s throw away from her home in Delft.
On the day she was killed, Centane and Nakani were expected to appear at the Bellville Magistrate’s Court for a domestic violence case she had opened against him.
Moeketsi said 15 cartridges were found at the scene and Centane had 42 wounds. He said there were no personal or compelling circumstances to force the court to deviate from the minimum prescribed sentence.
“The offence is serious and prevalent,” said Moeketsi, adding that giving Nakani a long term would serve as a deterrent to the community at large.
“The court has found that this matter was planned. On the day of the offence the accused fired several shots. The personal circumstances don’t outweigh the gravity of the offence,” he said.
Nakani’s lawyer, Daniel Theunissen, asked Boqwana to take into account the personal circumstances of his client. Theunissen said Nakani held an important position in society as he was a police officer.
“He is not a man with a history of violence. He has a clean record. This is an upright citizen, he is a police officer,” said Theunissen.
Centane’s sister Nomvuyo said the court should sentence Nakani the way it saw fit.
“I could say 100 years, 20 years, 10 years or five years, but the court must sentence him to fit the crime,” she said. “I have forgiven him, but will never forget,” said Nomvuyo.