A pastor who was nabbed and convicted of speeding for driving his Mercedes-Benz S350 at an average speed of 236km/h in a 120km/h zone says he has learnt his lesson.

Pastor John Sebusi Mosepele, 51, of Creation Center Ministries appeared before the Vanderbijlpark Magistrate's Court last week and on Thursday he was found guilty of reckless and negligent driving.

He was sentenced to a fine of R10 000 or six months' imprisonment, of which R8000 or three months were suspended for five years.

Yesterday, Mosepele told Sowetan he regretted his conviction and the experience he had to go through after being arrested for speeding.

He said he was "under a lot of pressure on the day" to fetch his 11-year-old daughter who was stranded in Kroonstad, Free State, after a ballet practice.

Mosepele was caught on the N1 near Barrage, south of Johannesburg. "The magistrate told me that when a car reaches 160km/h, it's no longer a car but a killing machine and that really shook me," he said.

"I have really learnt that I must abide by the rules [of the road] because I did not only put my life in danger but I could have also killed other innocent people on the road."

Gauteng MEC for community safety Sizakele Nkosi-Malobane welcomed Mosepele's conviction and sentence, saying it would send a strong message that Gauteng has no space for speedsters. "We are deeply concerned about reckless and negligent driving on our roads, especially when it is committed by someone with a high social standing in communities.

"We expect such people to lead by example and adhere to the rules of the road." She appealed to drivers to make road safety a priority and urged law enforcement agencies to deal decisively with drivers breaking the law.