Three years after a fatal ambush near Numbi Gate, Joseph Nyalunga is sentenced for killing German tourist Jorg Schnarr.
Three years after the death of a German tourist, Jorg Schnarr, during a botched hijacking near Kruger National Park (KNP), his killer has been sentenced to 25 years’ direct imprisonment.
The High Court of South Africa sitting in Mbombela has sentenced Napoleon Joseph Nyalunga, 38, for murdering Schnarr in October 2022. The 67-year-old died near the Numbi Gate entrance of the KNP.
On the day in question, the tourist, his wife, Vera Schnarr, Reiner Nuchter, and his wife, Andrea Nuchter, travelled in a minibus along Numbi Road towards Mdluli Safari Lodge near the KNP.
2022 ambush that killed German tourist Jorg Schnarr
A Volkswagen Golf suddenly pulled up and blocked their way. The perpetrators exited the car and opened fire on the tourist minibus.
“Schnarr, who was driving, was struck by a bullet and succumbed to his injuries on the scene,” said National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesperson Monica Nyuswa.
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Mpumalanga police investigated the case and arrested Nyalunga.
Nyuswa said the state presented strong evidence during the trial, including eyewitness accounts, police reports, 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,” she said.
‘Nyalunga brutally murdered a defenceless foreign national’
In aggravation of the sentence, the state argued that Nyalunga had brutally murdered a defenceless foreign national who came to South Africa with his family to enjoy the country’s natural beauty.
Nyuswa said the prosecutor urged the court to impose a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment.
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After considering all evidence, the court on Thursday sentenced Nyalunga to 25 years for murder, 10 years for attempted robbery, seven years for possession of a firearm, and two years for possession of ammunition.
The court ordered that some of the sentences run concurrently, resulting in an effective sentence of 25 years’ direct imprisonment.
The court acquitted his co-accused, Marshall Cebo Mamba and Bongumusa Matsane, citing insufficient evidence.
Violent crime
The NPA welcomed the conviction and sentence, praising the criminal justice cluster for its unwavering efforts to combat violent crime.
“The NPA emphasises that the value of human life can never be overstated and reaffirms its commitment to pursuing such cases vigorously to serve as a deterrent to would-be offenders,” Nyuswa said.
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