Pretoria - A former Joburg Metro Police officer has been sentenced to 18 years behind bars for killing a motorist during a road rage incident.
Bongani Silence Baloyi was sentenced on Tuesday at the South Gauteng High Court.
Baloyi’s conviction and subsequent sentence emanate from a 2019 incident in which motorist Seja Lawrence Nkwana was shot dead.
Independent Police investigative Directorate’s (Ipid) Ndileka Cola said Nkwana was travelling with the passengers in a Nissan vehicle driving towards Honeydew in October 2019.
A VW Golf driven, by Baloyi, made a u-turn in front of his car at the intersection of South Africa Drive and Central Africa Republic road, nearly causing a collision.
The drivers reportedly had a heated exchange of words, leading to Baloyi firing shots at Nkwana.
“The accused reported himself to police officials he found along the road as he walked away from the scene. The officers confiscated his firearm and he was later arrested and charged with murder and three counts of attempted murder,” said Cola.
“According to the post mortem report, Nkwana died as a result of gunshot wounds in the head, chest and abdomen. Upon finalising its investigation, Ipid consulted the office of the director of public prosecution for prosecutorial decision, which was granted.”
The police watchdog welcomed Baloyi’s sentencing on Tuesday.
“Ipid accepts the sentencing of Baloyi and hopes that it sends a strong message that officers of the law are not above the law. They have an obligation to conduct themselves within the confines of the law all the time,” Cola said.
IOL