Life for cop who shot lover

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Published Mar 15, 2017

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A former police officer was sentenced to life imprisonment by the Western Cape High Court for the premeditated murder of his ex-girlfriend after driving to her Delft home and shooting her 15 times on Tuesday.

Lindani Nakani killed Busiswa Centane during July 2014 after a short conversation while she was seated in

her car.

Post-mortem results showed Centane’s abdominal area was destroyed and she would not have stood a chance of survival had medical help been immediately available, according to evidence given in court.

Handing down the sentence, Judge Nolwazi Boqwana said Nakani and Centani had an abusive relationship.

Judge Boqwana said even though Centane had obtained a protection order at the Bellville Magistrate’s Court instructing Nakani not to threaten, visit or contact her, he did not adhere to it.

The judge said there were no personal and compelling circumstances to deviate

from the prescribed minimum sentence, which is life imprisonment.

Nakani did not lead evidence in mitigation of sentence.

Judge Boqwana said Centane was unarmed and had gone to court to seek an interdict against Nakani “to protect herself”.

“Protection orders are there to prevent abuse,” said the judge, adding that if protection orders were not adhered to, then the law should take its course.

“The question ringing in my mind is what else could have the deceased done?

“The protection order stated that the accused should not visit the house, (but) he did the opposite,” said Judge Boqwana, adding that nothing stopped Nakani from moving on from the relationship with Centane.

“He was advised by his colleagues to leave the relationship. He had the choices to move away and time to walk away,” she said.

“It is troubling that the entire magazine was used

on the deceased. He emptied the entire magazine on her after he was told to stay away from her.”

After shooting Centane, Nakani went to Delft police station to hand himself over.

The judge said at the station Nakani told police “he does not recall killing the deceased”.

“His memory was selective,” according to Judge Boqwana, as he had memory of things that happened that day but no memory of the murder.

“The actions of the accused, who is shooting the deceased, were not on the spur of the moment. The accused does not take full responsibility for his actions... He blames the deceased’s family for conspiring against him.

“He does not give reasons why he acted the way he did. It appears to me that he went to the deceased’s home knowing what he wanted to do,” said the judge.

Judge Boqwana described Centane as an “independent woman who loved her children”.

Centane’s family said they felt relieved at Nakani’s life sentence.

National Prosecuting Authority provincial spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila welcomed the sentence. He said incidents of femicide were, unfortunately, on the increase in this country.

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