Lebone Rodah Mosima
The High Court in Upington has convicted and sentenced John Ivan Francious Mouton, 50, on two counts of murder and four counts of attempted murder after a road-rage shooting in December 2022 left two men dead.
The NPA said on Tuesday that the case stemmed from the early hours of 17 December 2022, when Mouton was involved in a vehicle collision with Joshua Rock in Upington.
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After the crash, Mouton allegedly fetched a firearm from his vehicle and threatened Rock.
During the confrontation, Shadrack Dube, a friend of Rock, arrived and tried to calm the situation, but Mouton fired two shots. Rock then left the scene while Dube remained behind.
The owner of the vehicle Rock had been driving, Boiphelo Khumalo, arrived shortly afterwards with several other people, including off-duty police officer Ranchia Nokayi.
Nokayi approached Mouton and phoned police for help, but while she was still on the call, Mouton allegedly opened fire. Dube and Khumalo were fatally wounded, while four other people at the scene, including Nokayi, were shot at but not injured.
During the trial, Mouton claimed he had acted in self-defence, alleging that Dube was armed and that Khumalo posed a threat.
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The state, led by Advocate Mary-Ann Engelbrecht, argued that the victims were unarmed and that the shooting was unjustified. The court rejected Mouton’s version, finding that he had the direct intention to kill Dube and Khumalo and that the attack was premeditated, the NPA said.
The court sentenced Mouton to life imprisonment for the murder of Dube, life imprisonment for the murder of Khumalo, and 10 years’ imprisonment on each of the four attempted murder counts. The sentences will run concurrently.
The NPA said victim impact statements placed before the court detailed the psychological and emotional harm suffered by the families of the dead and by those who survived the shooting.
“The families expressed a measure of relief and welcomed the sentences, recognising the lasting impact of the accused’s actions on their lives,” said the NPA.
“Road rage and acts of retaliation have no place in a lawful society,” it said.
