Mpumalanga High Court convicts former security officer of murder
A former officer shot and killed a worker during a strike in Middelburg.
A 43-year-old former security officer has been sentenced to 25 years’ direct imprisonment for murder and three counts of attempted murder. The Mpumalanga Division of the High Court, sitting in Middelburg, handed down the sentence on Monday, July 14.
Nqubeko Brian Mchunu, a former security officer, was convicted of murdering Steve Tshwete Local Municipality employee, Tshepo Maseko, and attempting to kill three others during a workers’ strike on August 17, 2022.
During the strike, an altercation broke out between the workers and security personnel, who were armed with handguns, shotguns, and rifles.
The accused fatally shot Maseko and fired additional shots as workers fled, injuring three others. According to the National Prosecuting Authority’s (NPA) provincial spokesperson, Monica Nyuswa, Mchunu pleaded not guilty, claiming he had acted in self-defence.
However, State Advocate Getrude Nkosi led evidence, including eyewitness accounts and a ballistic report, which confirmed that cartridges found at the scene matched the municipal firearm issued to Mchunu.
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“The court rejected his defence and found him guilty of murder and attempted murder,” said Nyuswa.
During sentencing, Nkosi emphasised that Mchunu had shown no remorse and described the act as cruel, senseless and inhuman.
Although the court considered his personal circumstances, it opted to deviate from the prescribed minimum sentence of life imprisonment.
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Mchunu received 25 years for murder and seven years for each attempted murder charge, to run concurrently. He was also declared unfit to possess a firearm.
