South African police officer handed life sentence for killing man in cold blood

A police officer in South Africa has been sentenced to life behind bars for shooting dead a man in cold blood.

Sergeant Thanduxolo Mbonyana was found guilty of killing Lusanda Makosana following a quarrel.

The deceased’s body was discovered in March 2018 and the officer was arrested soon afterward.

In his plea explanation Mbonyana, who was a police officer at the time, explained his girlfriend was having a party at a house in Mandela Park in Khayelitsha.

He said that when he arrived there, he found Makosana’s car parked in the yard.

Investigations found Makosana was standing in the kitchen with two people when, without warning, the officer drew his service pistol and shot him in the chest.

The victim fell to the ground and the accused shot him seven times.

Mbonyana then dragged the deceased out of the house and into his own vehicle.

The body was dumped in another area within Mandela Park.

Mbonyana had been released on bail but was rearrested in September 2019 in connection with a robbery.