Two Mozambicans who murdered BMW manager Manie Maritz at his Constantia Park home in July last year were on Monday sentenced to life imprisonment.
The 48-year-old Maritz was shot dead in the backyard of his home in the early hours of the morning after he and his 15-year-old disabled daughter, Serelda, returned from a wedding.
Acting Judge Vivian Tlhapi sentenced Frans Mthabesitha (26) and Patric Sithole (36), both originally from Mozambique, to life and six months’ imprisonment for murdering Mr Maritz and assaulting Serelda.
She commended a neighbour who probably saved Serelda’s life when he fired shots, hitting one of the fleeing assailants, after seeing a man struggling with the screaming child and Maritz lying lifeless on the ground.
”Nowadays neighbours or individuals seldom come to the assistance of victims of crime or violence. They seldom come to such assistance to the extent of putting their own lives in danger,” the judge said.
She also praised members of the police’s flying squad, who arrested the two shortly after the incident, where they were sitting in the grass next to a road about 2km from the scene.
Sithole was bleeding from his left leg and police found cash and Serelda’s cellphone on Mthabesitha.
Tlhapi said the accused had not shown any remorse whatsoever for what they did.
It was ”outrageous” to kill a person for a cellphone and a few other items, the judge said.
There was nothing as callous and brutal as being confronted with armed robbers when you arrive home and to end up being killed or assaulted within seconds of arriving.
Tlhapi said citizens of South Africa were plagued every minute of every day by murders, housebreakings, robberies and rapes — often perpetrated in the safety of their own homes.
The courts should send out a very strong message that such conduct would not be tolerated, she said. — Sapa