adminCape Town — An assistant boilermaker was sentenced to eight years in prison for killing a man in a fight over sandy boerewors. “There was no need for you to attack the deceased, you could’ve opened a case of assault against him,” said Rustenburg Regional Court Magistrate Chris Nel during sentencing on Friday. Mpho Gift Segwe, 34, of Marikana, hit Samuel Chawe over the head with a knobkerrie on December 10, 2014, after Chawe complained that there were sand particles in the boerewors.
It all started when Chawe and his friend went to Segwe’s home asking for food. Segwe cooked the boerewors but then Chawe started complaining about the bits of sand in the wors. He hit Segwe in the face and Segwe ran into his house with Chawe following him.
A friend tried to restrain Chawe but he overpowered him and charged at Segwe. Segwe pulled out a knobkerrie and hit Chawe on the head and face while he was trying to run away. Chawe died three days later.
In the hopes of getting some leniency for Segwe, the court was told that he is the family’s breadwinner and has a 7-year-old child. Chawe’s family had also accepted an apology from him. Nel said the minimum sentence for Segwe’s crime was 15 years, and found that “to some degree’’ there were exceptional circumstances.
“There was no need for you to attack the deceased — you became the attacker. “The principle of an eye for an eye cannot be allowed. The State proposed an eight year sentence. I agree with them. You are sentenced to eight years in prison.” — AFP
Londile Moyo
Online Reporter