The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has welcomed the sentencing of 42-year-old Leonard Khoza to 15 years of direct imprisonment for the murder of Aluwisi Verengere.
The sentence was handed down by the Pretoria North Magistrates' Court following a trial that centered on a fatal dispute over a missing cellphone.
A dispute turned deadly
The court heard that on the evening of February 4,2023, a group of Zimbabwean nationals had gathered behind a Virgin Active gym in Wonderboom to play cards and consume alcohol.
The atmosphere turned tense when the deceased, Aluwisi Verengere, noticed his cellphone was missing and demanded to search those present.
While several members of the group consented to the search, Khoza and his two brothers refused. The situation escalated when Verengere threatened to consult a traditional healer to identify and bewitch the person responsible for the theft.
This threat led to a physical altercation, during which Khoza struck Verengere in the head with a stone. Verengere collapsed and was tragically declared dead at the scene.
Legal proceedings and conviction
Khoza was arrested five months later, on August 4,2023, and has remained in custody since. During the trial, he maintained a plea of not guilty, claiming he was not in South Africa at the time of the incident.
However, Regional Court Prosecutor Lufuno Manena successfully dismantled this alibi by presenting testimony from two eyewitnesses who were present at the scene. This evidence proved the State's case beyond a reasonable doubt.
Sentencing and deportation
While the defense argued for a lighter sentence on the grounds that Khoza was a first-time offender, the State remained firm. Prosecutor Manena argued that the seriousness of the crime, coupled with Khoza's total lack of remorse – evidenced by his continued denial of responsibility even after conviction – warranted the prescribed minimum.
Magistrate Pieter Nel concurred, stating there were no substantial or compelling circumstances to justify a deviation from the law.
The court imposed a sentence of 15 years for murder and 2 years for contravening immigration laws by being in the country illegally. The court ordered that the sentences run concurrently and that Khoza be deported to his country of origin upon completion of his sentence.
“The NPA remains committed to ensuring that justice is served for victims of violent crime, regardless of the nationality of the parties involved,” the authority noted in a statement issued by NPA Regional Spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana.