Picture: for illustration purposes
In a shocking case, four seasonal farm workers have been sentenced to life imprisonment for the 2019 murder of Western Cape farmer, Jurie Wynand Wessels. Ntabanyane John Tlali, Thabiso Nomoro Ramollo, Moeketsi Max Hlaudi, and Keketso Thabang Matsabisa were handed these sentences this week in the Western Cape High Court.
The heinous crime happened on May 13, 2019, at Kapteindrift farm, where Wessels resided. Utilising their knowledge of the premises, the accused launched a brutal attack on Wessels and his wife, Liezel. Brutality exacerbated as they tortured the couple physically and psychologically, finally shooting Jurie in the face. The accused, all Lesotho nationals, also robbed the deceased of his possessions.
The committal led to a lengthy inquiry and subsequent extradition of the perpetrators, three of whom had fled to Lesotho immediately following the crime. The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila explained that the crime was an example of escalating gender-based violence and a pandemic of farm murders in South Africa. Stressing that the circumstances called for revoking the accused of societal rights for a long period, the court also sentenced them to harsh imprisonment on charges related to attempted murder, robbery, possession of illegal firearms and contravention of the Immigration Act.
This case has stirred the conscience of the entire nation, and advocate Nicolette Bell, the Director of Public Prosecutions, Western Cape, appreciated the patience shown by the Wessels family through this lengthy legal ordeal.