The Scottburgh High Court has sentenced Joel Fenton Pillay to 20 years imprisonment for the murder he committed in July 2021 amid the looting and public violence that occurred in various parts of KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng.
On July 12 2021, the deceased, Lindani Mthethwa, was walking on Ireland Street in Verulam when Pillay drove past him.
Pillay, 38, who was driving a marked car belonging to a security firm, turned around and headed back in the direction of Mthethwa.
When he was alongside Mthethwa, he lowered the window and shot him in the head. Mthethwa died on the scene.
Victim impact statement
In the state’s case, advocate Thabani Buthelezi led the testimony of two eyewitnesses who saw the shooting, as well as details of the tracking device that was installed on the vehicle that Pillay drove on the day of the shooting.
Buthelezi also submitted a victim impact statement that Mthethwa’s sister had put together with the help of court preparation officer, Thandeka Nadi Mofokeng.
In her statement, the woman said Mthethwa was a responsible and hardworking person.
She said that her family has been financially and emotionally affected, adding that the incident was traumatic, as she still has flashbacks.
In sentencing Pillay, the court deviated from the minimum sentence of life imprisonment, citing that he was a first-time offender when he committed the crime.
Pillay was sentenced accordingly, and the court found him unfit to possess a firearm.
The National Prosecuting Authority applauds the efforts made by the prosecution and other parties in securing the conviction.
Human Rights Commission report
Despite the coincidental timing of the July 2021 unrest and former president Jacob Zuma’s incarceration, there was no evidence proving a direct link between the two events, the South African Human Rights Commission said in January during the release of the July 2021 unrest report.
The commission noted that the unrest, which escalated into widespread violence, looting, and destruction, resulting in an estimated financial damage of R50-billion and claiming over 300 lives, could not be linked to Zuma’s arrest despite protests over his imprisonment.
