The Mpumalanga High Court in Mbombela has sentenced Joseph Nyalunga to 25 years in prison for the brutal murder of 67-year-old German tourist Jorg Schnarr outside the popular Kruger National Park.
Schnarr was shot and killed near Numbi Gate in a botched hijacking. The 67-year-old was driving with his wife, Vera, and friends Reiner and Andrea Nuchter towards Mdluli Safari Lodge when a VW Golf suddenly pulled up and blocked their way.
The perpetrators [Nyalunga and his two co-accused, who were later acquitted] exited the vehicle and opened fire on the tourists’ minibus. Schnarr was struck by a bullet and succumbed to his injuries on the scene.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) in Mpumalanga said during the trial, the State presented compelling evidence, including eyewitness testimony, police evidence, and confession statements.
NPA spokesperson in Mpumalanga, Monica Nyuswa, said this was further corroborated during an inspection in loco, where a state witness demonstrated how the victim’s vehicle was ambushed and how the accused fled after the shooting.
“In aggravation of sentence, the State argued that Nyalunga had brutally killed a defenceless foreign national who had travelled to South Africa with his family to enjoy the country’s natural beauty. The prosecutor urged the court to impose a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment.
“After considering all evidence, the court sentenced Nyalunga to 25 years for murder,10 years for attempted robbery, seven years for possession of a firearm, and two years for possession of ammunition. The court ordered that some of the sentences run concurrently, resulting in an effective sentence of 25 years’ direct imprisonment,” Nyuswa explained.
