Napoleon Joseph Nyalunga (38) was yesterday sentenced to 25 years’ direct imprisonment for the murder of German tourist Jörg Schnarr (67) in the Mpumalanga High Court.

Lowvelder reports that Nyalunga was also convicted of attempted robbery, unlawful possession of a firearm and unlawful possession of ammunition. His two co-accused, Marshall Cebo Mamba and Bongumusa Matsane, were acquitted due to insufficient evidence.

The court heard that on October 3, 2022, Schnarr and three companions were travelling in a minibus along Numbi Road towards a lodge near the Kruger National Park. A VW Golf suddenly pulled up and blocked their path. The perpetrators exited the vehicle and opened fire on the tourists’ minibus. Schnarr, who was driving, was struck by a bullet and died at the scene. A swift police investigation led to Nyalunga’s arrest.

During the trial, the state presented compelling evidence, including eyewitness testimony, forensic evidence and confession statements. This was further corroborated during an inspection in loco, where a state witness demonstrated how the victim’s vehicle was ambushed and how the accused fled after the shooting. In aggravation of sentence, the state argued that Nyalunga had brutally killed a defenceless foreign national who had travelled to South Africa with his family to enjoy the country’s natural beauty. The prosecutor urged the court to impose the mandatory sentence of life imprisonment.

After considering all the evidence, the court sentenced Nyalunga to 25 years for murder, 10 years for attempted robbery, seven years for unlawful possession of a firearm, and two years for unlawful possession of ammunition. The court ordered that some of the sentences run concurrently, resulting in an effective sentence of 25 years’ direct imprisonment.

The National Prosecuting Authority welcomed the conviction and sentence, acknowledging the tireless efforts of the criminal justice cluster in combating violent crime. The NPA emphasised that the value of human life can never be overstated and reaffirmed its commitment to pursuing such cases vigorously to serve as a deterrent to would-be offenders.

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