Winklespruit road-rage murder sentence pending
The two exchanged insults before the shooting at a Winklespruit shopping centre.
ON FRIDAY, September 1, the Durban Regional Court heard arguments in mitigation or aggravation of the sentence in the case of a former policewoman who was convicted of shooting another motorist in a Winklespruit road-rage incident.
In July, Magistrate Sharon Marks found Nonhlanhla Biyela (44) guilty of killing Uber driver Khethokuhle Mvuyane (26) in November 2020. According to the evidence that was heard, Mvuyane and Biyela had been driving from Umgababa towards Winklespruit in their respective cars when the road-rage incident occurred. The court heard that Biyela and Mvuyane kept trying to overtake each other while both appeared to be angry and exchanging insults.
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Biyela, who was accompanied by her male cousin, pulled into a shopping centre in Winklespruit, and Mvuyane followed her. Witnesses claimed that after more insults were exchanged, Mvuyane punched the policewoman in the face, prompting her cousin to intervene, engaging in a fistfight with Mvuyane.
A car guard showed evidence that while the two men were fighting, Biyela entered her car, armed herself with a pistol, and shot Mvuyane in the back. After being shot, the deceased ran into one of the shops where he collapsed and died. The court also heard that after shooting Mvuyane, Biyela fled the scene with her cousin but was arrested later that day.
“It was unlawful for the accused to shoot at the deceased. Both the men were unarmed. There was no need to shoot as no one’s life was in danger,” said Marks.
Biyela had pleaded not guilty to the murder charge, shifting the blame to her cousin. She claimed that after Mvuyane punched her, her cousin had taken her pistol from the vehicle’s cubbyhole and shots were fired during his fistfight with Mvuyane. The court, however, rejected Biyela’s version of events.
Biyela will be sentenced on September 28.
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