Three farmers sentenced to life for brutal, racially motivated murder
The High Court of South Africa, Gauteng Division, has sentenced three farmers to life imprisonment for the premeditated murder of Dumisani Phakathi, local farm dweller.
The ruling, delivered in Pretoria, concludes a harrowing case that the court characterised as an inhumane and racially motivated act of violence.
The convicted individuals are Jaco Wessels Kemp (36), Louise Coetzee (29), and Gert Frederik van der Westhuizen (38).
In addition to the life sentences, the court declared all three unfit to possess firearms and ordered the immediate surrender of all weapons, ammunition, and related permits to the investigating officer.
A senseless assault
The incident occurred on 16 September 2023, at a chicken farm in Mamokgalieskraal. According to court records, the trio was having a braai when they spotted Phakathi walking past the farm gate. Phakathi was on his way to collect water from a nearby furrow – a common water source used by the local community.
The three approached Phakathi and began a violent assault. They then dragged him into a storage facility on the property, where the assault continued until he succumbed to his injuries.
The discovery
The crime was discovered in the early hours of 17 September 2023. During a stop-and-search operation on the R511 towards Brits, police intercepted a bakkie driven by Kemp and Coetzee.
Upon inspecting the vehicle's cargo, which was covered in black refuse bags, officers noticed human legs protruding from underneath the plastic. A closer inspection revealed Phakathi's bloodied body with his head wrapped in plastic. Kemp and Coetzee were arrested on the spot, while Van der Westhuizen handed himself over to authorities on 19 September after investigations linked him to the crime.
Trial and sentencing
During the trial, the accused pleaded not guilty and attempted to shift blame onto one another. However, State Prosecutor Advocate Lawrence More successfully argued the case, utilising compelling testimony from state witnesses to prove their collective guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
“The deceased was killed in an inhumane and cruel manner, his body placed in rubbish bags in an attempt to throw it in a dumping site,” Adv More stated during proceedings.
In mitigation of sentence, the accused requested the court deviate from the prescribed minimum sentence, citing their time already spent in custody and their responsibilities as parents. The judge rejected these pleas, noting a total lack of remorse.
Judicial findings
In delivering the life sentence, the judge agreed with the State's assessment that the trio killed the victim for no apparent reason. Consequently, the judge concluded the only logical derivation for the killing was that it was racially motivated.
The court also recorded a Victim Impact Statement from the deceased's sister, who expressed that she no longer trusts white people as a direct result of the incident.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has welcomed the sentence, stating it reinforces their commitment to ensuring accountability for violent crimes, particularly those committed against vulnerable members of society.