Alexandra Magistrates’ Court recently sentenced a man to four-and-a-half years for a murder which was deemed as resulting from provocation, after he admitted guilt, showed remorse and apologised to the court and the deceased’s family.
The accused, Siyabonga Madlana, was charged with the murder of 25-year-old Justice Mamabolo, who the 23-year-old suspect stabbed once in the chest.
The incident occurred on the evening of 3 September last year after Madlana accused Mamabolo of stealing meat, which was ready to be sold, from his braai business.
Madlana said when he confronted the deceased, Mamabolo denied stealing the meat which forced him to take drastic steps to protect his business, which was struggling due to theft.
While on the business premises, Madlana took a bread knife from the table and stabbed Mamabolo once in the chest, after which the deceased collapsed.
Alex police and paramedics were called to the scene and certified the victim dead on the scene. It is unclear who contacted the police. Before the police arrived, Madlana disappeared from the area until a tip-off from the public led to his arrest months later.
A legal expert said the court had imposed a sentence which could be perceived as slight, but was due to extenuating circumstances such as the provocation, guilty plea and remorsefulness shown.
