Three receive life sentences for ‘senseless’ killing

PRETORIA: The South African Constitution requires everyone in this country to treat each other with respect, and foreign nationals deserve to be treated like any other South African citizen, a judge said in sentencing the killers of a Somali shop owner to life imprisonment.

Judge Mmonoa Teffo, sitting in the High Court in Pretoria, said the killing of Ahmed Salaad inside Mike Supermarket in KwaMhlanga, was senseless and motivated by greed.

The judge said the three killers, whom she described as dangerous, showed absolutely no remorse for what they had done.

Themba Mathibela, 33, Elias Skosana, 33 and Joseph Masombuka, 27, did not seem fazed when hearing their punishment.

Judge Teffo added 20 years each to their life sentences for robbery and gun-related charges.

Salaad and two of his employees – Abdi Ahmed and Abdulah Durdige – were sleeping in the shop on June 12, 2012, when they were woken up by someone shooting down the back door.

The three shouted for help and tried to run out of the front door.

But they were overpowered by the robbers, who pushed them back into the shop.

They ransacked the premises stealing R2 500 and airtime vouchers.

Mathibela, who was armed with a shotgun, fired at Salaad, hitting him in the stomach. He died on the scene. His fellow Somalis were extremely traumatised by the murder of their friend and employer in front of them.

One ran away, while the other hid in a cupboard. The robbers casually stepped over the body in search of more loot, before fleeing the scene.

Judge Teffo said the two survivors were still traumatised. One of them broke into tears when he recalled that day.

She said murder and robbery were far too prevalent and people were tired of living in fear, thus they looked to the courts to ensure criminals do not walk the streets freely.