TUT killer cop sentenced to 15 years
The police officer responsible for the death of student Katlego Monareng has been sentenced to 15 years in prison.
Monareng was shot dead in August 2018 during violent protests that erupted during the SRC elections at the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) Soshanguve campus.
Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) spokesperson Sontaga Seisa confirmed former constable John Slender was convicted and sentenced by the high court in Pretoria on Friday.
In his judgment, Judge Peet Johnson found that the student was not a threat to Slender when he opened fire on a group of students, killing Monareng and wounding another student.
"John Slender, aged 40 years, was convicted and sentenced for murder and sentenced for murder of Katlego Monareng," says Seisa.
"Also the other student that was shot on the lower body and so he was also convicted for attempted murder."
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ER24 spokesperson Russel Meiring says it's still unclear how the incident unfolded. "ER24 paramedics, along with provincial services, arrived on the scene after 16h00 to find several bodies lying in the road," says Meiring. "Medics assessed the men and found that eight men had sustained numerous injuries and showed no signs of life."
Seisa adds that Slender was also declared unfit to possess a firearm.
According to the investigating officer’s affidavit, its alleged police were trying to exit the TUT north campus when the incident occurred, but students barricaded the gate.
Another officer was also arrested at the time but investigations revealed that the R5 rifle that killed the student belonged to Slender.