Thabo Tankiso Hlompho (29), a Lesotho national, has been sentenced to 12 years’ direct imprisonment and declared unfit to possess a firearm after pleading guilty to the fatal shooting of a security guard and the wounding of a farmer in Fouriesburg last year.
The tragic incident occurred on the morning of 12 December 2024, when a local farmer noticed a trespasser on his property via CCTV surveillance at approximately 08:05. The farmer immediately alerted his private security service, prompting security guard Andrew Grant Turner (56) to respond.
During the attempted arrest, Hlompho overpowered Turner, disarmed him, and fatally shot him. Turner succumbed to his injuries on the scene.
Upon witnessing the altercation unfold on CCTV, the farmer notified fellow farmers and the Fouriesburg police. As Hlompho attempted to flee, he shot and wounded one of the responding farmers in the leg. The injured farmer was rushed to the hospital for treatment.
A group of farmers managed to apprehend the suspect, recover the stolen firearm, and hand him over to the police upon their arrival.
The case was investigated by the Thabo Mofutsanyana District Executive Detective. On 24 July 2025, Hlompho appeared in the Bethlehem Magistrate’s Court, where he pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 12 years’ direct imprisonment.
