Pretoria - A sergeant in the VIP protection unit of the South African Police Service (SAPS) was on Tuesday sentenced to 25 years direct imprisonment for the 2019 double murder of his girlfriend and an Uber driver.
The Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) secured the successful conviction of Sergeant Geshwin Sweni, who was sentenced at the High Court in Johannesburg, the watchdog’s spokeswoman Ndileka Cola said.
“Sweni has been sentenced to 25 years imprisonment for each of the two counts of murder and the sentences will run concurrently. IPID has left no stone unturned as it investigated the death as a result of police action, a murder case which occurred on the 01 May 2019.”
On that fateful day, Cola said, Sweni had an argument with his girlfriend at his father’s house in Edenpark.
She said the girlfriend decided to leave and called an Uber car to come and fetch her. The vehicle arrived and she got inside and it drove away.
Sweni, however, followed her and started shooting at the vehicle.
“As he was shooting, the Uber driver lost control of the vehicle and hit a gate which was closed around Edenpark. Then the girlfriend got out of the car, and tried to run away but Sweni continued to shoot her. Both his girlfriend and the Uber driver died immediately at the crime scene,” Cola said.
After shooting, the police officer went to fetch his father, who was in the neighbourhood.
“He informed his father that he had shot his girlfriend and the boyfriend she cheated with. His father took away his firearm and handed him to the police station,” said Cola.
“The Directorate investigated this matter, leading to the officer of the law being sentenced to prison. IPID will continue to investigate the law enforcement officers that perpetrate gender-based violence and femicide and will ensure that they are brought to book, and justice is served for the victims as well their families.”
IOL