Tonderai Mushai, a 29-year-old truck driver who attempted to run over a traffic officer in Komatipoort, has been convicted of attempted murder and sentenced to 2 years in jail.
He was arrested on 17 November 2021.
On Thursday, Mushai was found guilty of attempted murder in the Boschfontein Regional Court.
He was sentenced to two years in jail, as well as one year suspended or a R10 000 fine.
Mpumalanga Hawks spokesperson, Captain Dineo Sekgotodi, said the incident occurred when Mushai was driving the truck pulling side tipper inter-link trailers on the N4, near the Komatipoort port of entry, towards Mozambique.
The traffic officer had been directing trucks in the vicinity at the time.
Sekgotodi said Mushai could not afford to pay the fine.
A fellow truck driver is in custody after he allegedly tried to bribe the traffic officer to make Mushai’s case go away.
The case involving the other truck driver is still ongoing.
Sekgotodi said:
After [Mushai] was arrested and detained, another truck driver, Patrick Ncube, 21, approached the [traffic officer] and offered him a gratification of R10 000 in order for the attempted murder case to be cancelled.
Ncube was arrested immediately after he allegedly handed the money over to an agent, Sekgotodi added.
He was denied bail and is still in custody.
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He is expected to appear in the Boschfontein Regional Court on 28 March.
