FORMER CRIME INTELLIGENCE OFFICER SENTENCED TO LIFE IMPRISONMENT FOR MURDERING HIS LOVER
The High Court of South Africa, Gauteng Local Division, Johannesburg, sentenced a 31-year-old former Crime Intelligence Unit (CIU) officer Silas Masemola, to life imprisonment for the murder of Puleng Khumalo (32). Masemola and Khumalo were in an extra-marital relationship, and on 04 April 2022, Masemola visited Khumalo’s matrimonial home.
Khumalo was shot in what Masemola described in his plea explanation, as an accidental shot that was discharged by his firearm whilst placing it in the holster. Meanwhile, his supervisor testified in court that Masemola had called him that day, stating that his girlfriend shot herself with his service pistol. The supervisor then alerted the ballistic experts and they rushed to the Khumalo home where evidence gathered at the scene, was contrary to Masemola’s version.
The ballistic expert, Lieutenant Colonel Petrus van der Merwe, was adamant that Masemola’s version was unacceptable considering the safety mechanism of the firearm as well as the fact that the force required to pull the trigger would have to be at least 3kg for the bullet to be emitted.
Junior State Advocate Mareka Maleleka relied on hearsay evidence that was admitted by the court, to disprove Masemola’s version, with two of the deceased’s cousins telling the court that Khumalo told them that the accused threatened to kill her because she intended to leave him to focus on her marriage.
The NPA commends Adv. Maleleka and Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) officer, Hlanganiso Gladwin Ndlovu for ensuring that justice is served.
