Julius Lucas has been sentenced to life in prison for killing the actor Sibusiso Khwinana.
Sibusiso Khwinana was killed in 2019 during a robbery at the Sterland Mall in Arcadia, Tshwane.
The actor had just attended a screening of a film he starred in, Matwetwe, when Lucas snatched his phone.
Unwilling to let the phone go, Sibusiso Khwinana ran after Lucas, and a scuffle ensued. In the ensuing struggle, Lucas stabbed the actor in the heart and he died on the scene.
The accused had appeared at the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria on Wednesday, May 11, where the presiding judge Portia Phahlane handed down the sentence.
The court determined that he was in South Africa illegally and handed him eight years for contravening the Immigration Act. He was also sentenced to 15 years for robbery with aggravated circumstances.
The sentences will run concurrently.
By the way, ahead of sentencing, Julius, a Tanzanian, had fired his lawyer because he was unhappy with his conviction. He wanted the case reopened with a new advocate.
But the judge clarified that even if Lucas got a new counsel, he would not be able to reopen the case he’s already been convicted.
With his conviction, he joins a list of foreigners who have been convicted for crimes in South Africa.
