Road rage nurse gets 18 years
2007-11-29 16:35
Pietermaritzburg - A dedicated nurse, who shot dead a taxi driver after they were involved in a road rage incident, was jailed for 18 years in the Pietermaritzburg High Court on Thursday.
Simanga Wiseman Mthembu, 37, of Pietermaritzburg, shot dead taxi driver Derrick Majozi, 29, six hours after Mthembu took evasive action when Majozi allegedly did not stop at a stop street in April last year.
In a confrontation Mthembu told Majozi: "Get a proper licence because that is not the way to drive."
A passenger in Mthembu's car said the taxi driver wanted to fight instead of apologising.
However, they each went their own way but six hours later they met again when Mthembu's car stopped in front of Majozi's taxi. During another confrontation Mthembu shot Majozi several times.
Judge Chris Nicholson said he accepted that Mthembu did not plan or premeditate the murder but that he came across Majozi by chance.
Mthembu usually carried a gun for protection and had it on him during the first confrontation but did not use it then.
Nurse Mthembu had a long and promising career and Nicholson said he regretted having to impose the sentence.
Entirely unacceptable
The court had to send out a deterrent message that violence cannot be tolerated.
He said Mthembu had six hours to ponder over the wrath generated in the first confrontation.
He said every driver can expect to be involved in a collision at some time.
It was entirely unacceptable that anyone, even if he is the cause of a collision, can be executed by the other driver.
Many drivers are irritated by the behaviour of taxi drivers, but they are not allowed to take the law into their own hands. They can lay charges of reckless driving or other infractions of the law against errant drivers at police stations.
Nicholson said Mthembu had shown extreme remorse and contrition for the murder and had consulted a psychiatrist and a psychologist to come to terms with his act. Mthembu was a good candidate for reformation.
- SAPA