Remorseless cop killer gets life plus 45 years in prison

An Orange Farm resident who killed a police officer Norman Nwasombana Muhlari during a robbery nine years ago, was on Friday sentenced to life imprisonment by the Pretoria high court. 

Jonas Jabulani Tsotetsi, 44, was also senteced to 15 years each for three counts of robbery with aggravating circumstances, 15 years for possession of a firearm and three years for possession of ammunition.  

The court ordered that one count of robbery with aggravating circumstances and the charge of possession of ammunition, run concurrently with the life sentence, making the effective sentence life imprisonment plus 45 years. 

“On the morning of August 6 2015, Tsotetsi and a group of accomplices targeted Orange Farm train station, where they overpowered security guards, tied them up and robbed them of their belongings,” National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana said. 

She said the men, using grinders and explosives, attempted to access the station’s money vault. “While the robbery was in progress, Muhlari and his colleague arrived at the station on a routine patrol. After failing to get a response from the security guards, the officers left their vehicle to investigate,” she said.  

“Upon returning to their police van, Muhlari was shot and killed by the robbers, and his colleague was tied up, assaulted and robbed of their service pistols. Tsotetsi and his group then fled the scene.”

Tsotetsi, who had fled to Mozambique after the murder, was arrested in December 2019, five years after the crime, when he returned to South Africa. “During the trial, Tsotetsi initially pleaded not guilty, but later admitted liability after hearing testimony from three state witnesses.” 

His lawyer asked the court to consider the four years that Tsotetsi had spent in prison awaiting trial when sentencing him. 

However, state advocate Gerhard Maritz argued that Tsotetsi committed serious offences and showed no remorse for his actions. He said Tsotetsi had neither apologised to the Muhlari’s family nor expressed regret for his crimes. "

The NPA welcomes the sentencing and hopes it sends a strong message the NPA condemns the killing of SAPS officers, who are vital to the protection of society,” said Mahanjana.

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