MBOMBELA – The Nelspruit Regional Court convicted Pastor Mandla Dube (49) of the General Church of God in Chochocho guilty of murder and sentenced him to 15 years in prison on Monday, October 14.
Dube, had pleaded not guilty to the murder of Sabelo Mlombo (27) who apparently died after he was severely beaten with a pick handle and a broomstick by Dube who suspected him of stealing his water tank.
Evidence brought in court by an eye witnesses states that Dube assaulted the victim’s knees with a broom stick which broke and he was given a pick-handle by his son which he used to continually assault the deceised who repeatedly denied knowledge of the water tanker.
Dube and the witnesses later took the injured victim who was tied up with something like a wire or rope from his legs to his chest, and whose hands were also tied to the police station.
It was also testified in court that the deceased could hardly talk and had blood on his head and face at the time he was left at the police station.
When pleading for a lesser sentence Dube’s lawyer told the court that his client was not a first time offender.
Evidence brought in court showed that Dube was previously sentenced to six months in jail or a fine option of R300 for a fraud case he committed in June 1990. It was also heard that he was sentenced to 90 days in prison in 2005 for an offence of Assault GBH.
His lawyer argued that the current offence of murder was an incident it was not premeditated neither planned. “It is my submission that the court should give a sentence which is deterrent and rehabilitative to my client and deviate from the minimum sentence,” he said.The lawyer also argued that his client was not an aggressive person.
On the other hand the state’s advocate argued that Dube as a pastor and spiritual leader had to lead by example.
“The life of the deceased was taken due to his suspicions and I therefore submit that the court should not deviate from the minimum sentence in this matter,” said the state’s prosecutor.
When passing the sentence, Magistrate Willie Wilkens mentioned that the accused fraud case did not apply in the matter but his second previous conviction of Assault GBH shows that Dube is a violent person.
“He previously used power to assault a person and it’s sentence did not taught him any lesson hence today he is here on a murder charge,” said Wilkens.
“You showed no remorse but tried to conceal what happened on the day in question. We heard that the theft of your water tanker made you to lose your temper,” he said.
Wilken added that there is no room of calling this incidence as an accident.
“Despite his injuries you wrapped him in wires before taking him to the police station , that was totally unnecessary as he was in a state of being paralyzed, he couldn’t speak and was in a bad state,” he said.
A relative of the deceased family broke in tears as the magistrate narrated what happened to the deceased.
Wilkins emphasized that Jungle justice will never be accepted in the country.
He sentenced Dube to 15 years in prison for the murder and declared him unfit to possess a firearm in the future.
Apparently Dube’s family moved in urgent application to appeal his sentencing. The case was then postponed to October 15.
