MADADENI – Linda Wu’s life changed forever when her husband of 12 years was gunned down in their factory in May last year.
Xioming ‘Steven’ Zhang was killed by two men who entered his factory and shot him during an armed robbery.
Related article: Newcastle businessman’s killer brought to book
A year later, justice has finally prevailed.
The suspect responsible for Mr Zhang’s death was convicted of the illegal possession of a firearm, armed robbery, attempted murder and murder.
He was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment for the illegal possession of the gun, a further five years for armed robbery, 15 years’ imprisonment for attempted murder and life imprisonment for murder.
Also see: No justice in sight for Xioming Zhang
The second suspect, however, was released due to a lack of evidence.
Though pleased Mr Zhang’s killer was sentenced to life, Mrs Wu believed stronger laws were needed in order to deter criminals from committing similar acts of violence.
“I believe the death penalty should be brought back, because criminals are not scared of the law. I am not only thinking of the Chinese community when saying this, but rather the entire South African population, as everyone is targeted.”
She also believed the second accused should not have been released. “While he did not shoot Steven, he did provide the gun. He should face some form of punishment.”
Mrs Wu said what hurt her the most, was that Mr Zhang had a good relationship with the perpetrators before the murder.
“They acknowledged they had a good relationship with Steven, saying he was always there for others. So, why would they kill him for money then?”
Now the court case is finally over, Mrs Wu said she would continue running the factory, as Mr Zhang would have wanted it that way.
“When we moved to Newcastle in 2004, we had nothing. All we had was the idea of starting a factory, so we worked for a friend to get experience before purchasing our own factory.”
Once the couple acquired their property, they worked diligently to pursue their dream.
“We started off with nothing. In fact, all we had were two machines and nothing else. We actually slept on pallets and some nights we did not even have food to eat,” Mrs Wu reminisced.
But Mr Zhang was determined to succeed.
“We eventually employed two staff members, but they went home at 5pm, so Steven and I would work through the night to get our orders done,” she laughed.
Through their dedication, their business soon flourished and the factory now has several machines and 60 employees.
Anna Shabalala, one of the employees, said Mr Zhang’s death was a tragedy.
“He was such a good person, treating all his staff with respect. I was there on the day he died and I can’t even explain how I felt.”
Amy Cheung, a member of the Chinese community and close friend of Mrs Wu, thanked all relevant authorities who made the sentencing possible.
“The Chinese community applauds the judgement, although we are a bit disappointed that the second accused, who provided the firearm, was acquitted,” said Alex Liu of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce.
Mr Liu thanked the investigating officer for arresting the two suspects.
“A special thanks must go to the investigating officer for all his hard work, and to Andy and Amy Cheung for accompanying Mrs Wu to the court,” he concluded.
