Killer Mamelodi drug dealer gets two life terms

A Mamelodi drug dealer who shot dead two rivals outside a tavern has been sentenced to two life terms, despite his claim he was unable to walk at the time because of piles.

Judge Bert Bam sentenced Dan Mashuphe, 36, to life imprisonment for the January 2016 murders of business rivals Kabelo Sekoati and his brother Geoffrey, who were gunned down outside the London Tavern late at night in June 2016.

Mashuphe was sentenced to an additional 50 years imprisonment for attempting to murder Oupa Nkopodi by shooting him in the leg and arm during an attempted hijacking in April 2013, charges of unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition and intimidating a policeman who searched his car for drugs in January 2014.

Mashuphe told the constable to stop doing drug prevention work in Mamelodi or he would be killed as Mashuphe had connections in the police and organised crime circles who would set a trap for him.

Judge Bam rejected the evidence of Mashuphe and his wife that he was at home on the day of the Sekoati brothers’ murders as he could not walk because of piles. A doctor who treated Mashuphe said the affliction was not so bad that he would not have been able to walk and he was only booked off work for a day.

Mashuphe denied the evidence of an eye witness who said he had seen the accused walking up to the brothers and shooting them without saying a word. One of the brothers was shot in the back while urinating outside the tavern and his brother was shot while trying to help him.

The witness said he knew Mashuphe well as he had been buying drugs from him for 10 years.

Kabelo Sekoati, who was shot in the head, died at the scene while his brother, who was shot in the back, died in hospital later.

The court admitted the evidence of a policeman who visited Geoffrey Sekoati in hospital after the shooting and testified that the injured man told him Mashuphe had shot him and his brother.

Judge Bam said there were apparently problems between Mashuphe and the brothers before the shootings, which were drug-related. He said ignoring the law and randomly killing others could not be tolerated.

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