A 39-year-old police Sergeant has been sentenced to seven years imprisonment for fatally shooting a man who had stabbed him in King William's Town, Eastern Cape.
Anthony Zuko Balfour, who was a member of the VIP Protection Unit, was sentenced by the King William's Town Magistrate's Court for killing Anathi Qabisisa in May 2017.
Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) spokesperson, Phaladi Shuping, said Balfour shot and killed Qabisisa after he stabbed him in the left arm, face and head.
“Sergeant Balfour then went to his car, took out his firearm and started firing at Qabisisa. Qabisisa tried to run but he fell and Sergeant approached Qabisisa and shot him on the neck while he was lying down and no longer posing any threat,” said Shuping.
“The incident was reported to IPID for investigation, and the docket was handed to the senior prosecutor after the finalisation of the investigation. The senior prosecutor decided that Sergeant Balfour should be prosecuted for Qabisisa’s murder,” he said
The court found Balfour guilty of murder and sentenced him to 15 years imprisonment.
“Eight years of his sentence was suspended for a period of five years. He will effectively serve seven years in prison,” explained Shuping.
Last month, a 40-year-old police officer accused of shooting his ex-girlfriend seven times was been denied bail by the Mankweng Magistrates Court in Limpopo.
Sergeant Alfred Malemela allegedly shot his ex-girlfriend, Victoria Ramaphoko, 38, on September 27, 2024.
The shooting took place outside Mankweng Magistrates Court after a Heritage Day celebration.
Malemela is also stationed at Mankweng Police Station.
Shuping said Malemela went to the Magistrates Court in the morning where Ramaphoko and her colleagues were celebrating Heritage Day.
“There was an argument between Sergeant Malemela and Ramaphoko but he left the court building. He came back later in the afternoon armed with a firearm and met Ramaphoko at the gate and allegedly shot her seven times,” said Shuping.
Ramaphoko was rushed to hospital and survived the shooting.