Farmer sentenced for murdering a cattle herder in Mapleton case
The court heard that the accused took the victim to Sunward Park Hospital, where the victim subsequently died.
The 57-year-old Mapleton farmer who shot and killed a cattle herder has been convicted and sentenced.
Alfred Jan Bezuidenhout pleaded not guilty to the murder charge but guilty to the charge of possession of an unlicensed firearm, on February 2.
He was, however, found guilty on both charges on June 1.
Bezuidenhout was sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment for murder and eight years for possession of an illegal firearm.
The court ordered that count number two run concurrently with count number one. Bezuidenhout was also declared unfit to possess a firearm.
Magistrate Suren Harichand presided and prosecutor India Roos represented the state.
The investigating officer in the case was Det Const Tshidiso Selele of the Dawn Park SAPS, who left no stone unturned.
* On November 26, 2016, the accused killed cattle herder Bisani Tshukelo by shooting him in the head.
Tshukelo died in hospital after sustaining a single gunshot wound. On the day of the shooting, Bezuidenhout was found in possession of an unlicensed 38 special calibre revolver.
The victim was leading a nomadic life, travelling with his cattle from place to place to find fresh pasture for the animals to graze, when he was shot in Mapleton.
The accused initially fired a shot at the cattle but later returned with the revolver and shot the herder.
Bezuidenhout has previous convictions, including possession of drugs, and assault in January 2012.
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