Klerksdorp Car Dealership Shooter Sentenced To Life Imprisonment
The High Court of South Africa; North West Division, sitting at the Klerksdorp Regional Court sentenced Confidence Sekgoro (40), to life imprisonment for premeditated murder and five years on each of the two counts of attempted murder. The court also declared him unfit to possess a firearm. The court has, however,r granted him leave to appeal on premeditated murder. Sekgoro’s conviction is linked to a shooting incident at a car dealership in Klerksdorp in 2019. Reports reveal that he bought a car at Speedy Car Sales in April 2019, in Klerksdorp, following the purchase, he made a collection of the vehicle and drove it to Mafikeng where resides.
He, later on, complained about some defaults on the car, to which the dealership obliged to inspect and subsequently took it back for a mechanical check-up in Klerksdorp at a cost of approximately R4700. The inspection results however showed no defaults to the car as it was serviced before. The dealership ordered Sekgoro to pay for the costs of transportation before they could release his car back to him. He then approached the High Court of South; North West Division on an urgent basis for his car to be given back to him, however, his application was dismissed and the matter was struck off the roll.
On 11 November 2019, he went to the dealership to collect his motor vehicle but the sales manager, Mehboob Soomra (36), told him to pay for the transportation costs after consulting with the dealership attorney before receiving his car back. He was then told to wait for Mohamed Dangor, (deceased) who was the son of the dealership owner to further engage on the matter. Sekgoro then went to the office of the deceased, who was in the company of Yusuf Ally (61), and an argument ensued before he started shooting at them. He proceeded to chase after Soomra in the showroom and fired shots at him.
Dangor was declared dead on the scene, while Soomra and Ally were rushed to a nearby hospital to receive medical care, after sustaining serious gunshot injuries. Following this shooting incident, Sekgoro asked for directions to the police station, handed himself in and was later granted R10 000 bail. The bail was however revoked after he was found guilty on all three charges.
In his defence, Sekgoro claims he acted in self-defence as Dangor was reaching for a firearm, threatening to shoot him. He further asserted that he heard gunshots fired inside the dealership, hence he fired shots at the third victim. This submission was however dismissed by the state, through video footage that was accepted by the court as evidence.
In aggravation of sentence, Adv Riekie Krause urged the court not to deviate from the minimum prescribed sentence, considering the serious nature of the offence committed and the prolonged traumatic sufferings by the family of the deceased and the two surviving victims. She further alluded to the remorseless posture of the accused. In passing sentence, Judge A.J Makoti also agreed with the state and alluded to the devastation caused by this incident to the family of the deceased and the two victims who survived the attack. The court further agreed with the state that Sekgoro could have advanced further legal means to address his dispute with the dealership.
The Director of Public Prosecutions in the North West, Dr Rachel Makhari-Sekhaolelo lauded Warrant Officer Tshiponyane and Adv Krause for a collaboration that ensured a successful conviction. “This conviction should be of a valuable lesson that murder is not a solution in resolving disputes”, she concluded.
Enquiries:
Henry Mamothame
NPA Regional Spokesperson
North West Division
082 317 5731