A 25-year-old man found guilty of robbing and killing a Gqeberha e-hailing driver has been handed double life imprisonment.
Bathandwa Jabavu, 25, was found guilty of killing Garrison Keeran Snayers on February 17, 2021.
According to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), Jabavu, of New Brighton Township in Gqeberha, and his two cohorts hatched a plan to get cash quickly.
“They agreed that they would summon an Uber taxi under the guise of transporting them and would rob the driver of the vehicle on his arrival.
“As per their plan, the Uber taxi was requested.
“As per the norm, a description of the vehicle, its registration number, and the description of the driver, accompanied by a picture, was sent to the requesters,” said NPA spokesperson Luxolo Tyali.
She said the trio cancelled their requests until they found a suitable victim.
“After numerous cancellations, they decided on confirming a request to Garrison Keeran Snayers to pick them up at Madala Street in New Brighton.”
The men did not wait in the street but hid themselves until the Uber arrived.
“They ambushed the driver wielding firearms, and when he tried to escape, they shot him, and he died on the scene. They took money and a cellphone and fled the scene on foot.”
Police investigations led to the arrest of the three men days after the murder, after the police recovered a cellphone with messages implicating them in the case.
“One of them, Wandisile Gawu, was killed in an unrelated incident before the beginning of the trial.
“The other became a state witness, according to Section 204 of the Criminal Procedure Act.
“His evidence was accepted by the court and, as a result, he was granted immunity from prosecution.”
IOL News