WALKERVILLE. – “Justice has prevailed…God does not sleep.”

This is what the Gauteng middleweight boxing champion Donjuan van Heerden wrote on his Facebook page on the day that the security guard who shot dead his father, Daniel “Danie” Christoffel van Heerden (61) in December 2018, was sentenced in the regional court in Vereeniging.

Sabelo Patrick Dlamini (43), a former security guard from De Deur, was sentenced on 21 July 2023, after a court case that lasted almost five years, to 15 years in prison for the murder of van Heerden in December 2018.

Patrick, who was arrested in December 2018 and released on bail of R5 000 on 2 January 2019, was charged on 2 February this year with three charges, including a charge of murder and two charges relating to directing a firearm.

Five years of Patrick’s sentence is suspended.

Patrick was also sentenced to three months in prison each for the two other charges related to pointing a firearm.

The sentences on the latter charges will be served concurrently with the first sentence.

This means that he will effectively serve 10 years in prison.

Patrick shot dead the deceased on 27 December 2018 around 14:00 at the corner of Johan le Rouxweg and Boundary street, near a well-known scrapyard, with his 7.65 mm CZ pistol during a confrontation.

Danie breathed his last in the arms of his son, Donjuan, then 17.

The incident was captured on video and was widely shared on social media.

Donjuan testified during the court case that meat led to the confrontation between his father and Patrick.

Donjuan testified how, on the day in question, he drove to the slaughterhouse with Venecia Kunneke and his father to buy meat, when they found a refrigerated truck and a safety van on the side of the road.

They suspected trouble when they saw the van stop next to the truck and how meat was loaded from the security guard’s van back into the truck.

After that, the truck apparently quickly left the scene.

Danie confronted Patrick and asked him what he was doing.

After Patrick cursed him, Danie apparently threatened to call Patrick’s boss, Johan Bosch, who knew Danie well.

Patrick then took his firearm out of the vehicle.

Danie took Dlamini’s keys.

The situation escalated and Patrick shot Danie in front of Donjuan and Venecia.

Donjuan says the fact that justice has been served spurred him on in his fight against the Eastern Cape champion, Durandt Verwey.

He won the fight which took place on Friday 21 July 2023 at the Portuguese hall in Turffontein with a technical knockout in 2 minutes and 36 seconds.

Van Heerden leaves behind 13 children. He is the father of Danie van Heerden, a former EFC heavyweight champion and Chris van Heerden, a former IBO world welterweight champion.

Chris, who lives in the US these days, wrote in a post on Twitter: “Finally we can move on.

After almost 5 years the man shooting and taking my father from me & the family has been found guilty and sentenced to 15 years which he has to do 10 years imprisonment.

Thank you for all the love and support everyone. R.I.P Now my Daddy”

FINALLY we can move on.

After almost 5 years the man shooting and taking my father from me & the family has been found guilty and sentenced to 15 years which he has to do 10 years imprisonment.

Thank you for all the love and support everyone ❤️

R.I.P Now my Daddy

— Chris van Heerden (@TheHeat001) July 21, 2023