A policewoman found guilty of murder and attempting to murder four others in a road rage incident should go to jail, a court heard.
|||Durban - A policewoman found guilty of murdering a man and attempting to murder four others in a road rage incident should go to jail as she was employed to protect people, not to harm them, social worker
Philiswa Zungu told the Pietermaritzburg High Court on Wednesday.
Zungu was called by the court to clarify her pre-sentencing report on 31-year-old Hlengiwe Mkhize who was convicted in January of murdering Mlindeli Ngcobo and attempting to murder Thabisile Phetha, Samokelisiwe and Mhlengi Ngcobo and Sandile Madondo in Bulwer last July.
Mlindeli Ngcobo had rear-ended her car and both drivers got out of their vehicles to discuss the collision. When they got back into their vehicles, Mkhize alleged, she heard what sounded like a shot.
She believed she was going to be hijacked and fired two warning shots. Acting Judge Thembisa Maphumulo rejected her version. The judge found something made her angry.
The social worker said Mkhize had been “well trained about the justice system but manipulated it” by opening a case of attempted hijacking instead of handing herself over for murder.
“She understands the consequences of committing a serious crime and she also knows that she will be punished by the law.”
Mkhize had two children, aged 14 and 11 months, and their fathers said they were prepared to take care of them if she went to jail, Zungu said
During Zungu’s cross-examination by attorney Surendra Singh it emerged that neither of the two fathers had ever taken care of their children before. Singh also accused Zungu of compiling a biased report.
Argument on sentencing was expected to take place on Thursday.
The Star