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The murderers of Sarel Janse van Rensburg were today found guilty by Acting Judge Andries Lambrechts in the Middelburg Magistrates Court. Janse van Rensburg (75) was brutally murdered on 18 September 2014 on the farm Froggy Pond in the Tonteldoos district, Mpumalanga.

Today, nearly a year later, Papiki Mokwena and Eric Mtombeni were brought to justice. Janse van Rensburg’s family is absolutely elated with the verdict. Claudine van Wyk, daughter of the deceased, will in all possibility have to testify for an increase of punishment before sentencing takes place in court tomorrow.

The firm action of farmers and neighbours from within the community as well as the SAPS led to the quick arrest of the two attackers. Van Wyk feels that she is extremely relieved and thankful knowing that the attackers were caught and that they will now pay a dear price for what they did to her father. “Justice does in fact take place and even though my father cannot be returned to us, I feel and hope that they will sit for life, seeing as these men are unapproachable and dangerous,” said Van Wyk.

Mokwena was out on bail when the attack took place. Both of the accused pleaded not guilty to the charges against them. 
An employee on the farm testified that he approached the farmhouse for meat at teatime just after 10:00 on the morning of the 18th. However, when nobody answered, he went inside and found a bloodied Janse van Rensburg. The two accused were seen shortly thereafter when they jumped a fence. Workers on other farms in the area also saw the two as they tried to escape and at the same time heard how Janse van Rensburg’s employees made alarm and shouted for help.

Neighbours that learned about the attack over the network radio, rushed to the farm. On their way there, some of the neighbours spotted the two attackers while they were walking in the opposite direction; one of the attackers even tried to hide in a bush next to the road when he realised that they were wanted. The police, which arrived at the scene in the meantime, took the second attacker captive, seeing as he acted suspicious. Shortly thereafter, the first attacker was tracked down in the bush, while several stolen items were also found in the possession of the suspects.

Janse van Rensburg, who sustained serious head wounds during the attack, was already dead when the police arrived at the scene. The safe was cut open with an angle grinder and a firearm and cash were stolen.
The court dismissed the testimony of the accused after they argued that the blood of the deceased landed on their clothes after they were apparently took to the scene to perform a point out in the house; however, this was not the case at all. The judge argued that the blood could only come into contact with their clothes if they personally attacked and murdered the victim.

“I am delighted with the family and thankful for the verdict. Even though the sentencing will not return their father, they can still continue knowing that the murderers are behind bars. There are lots of families that are not so lucky,” said Lorraine Claasen, a Criminologist at AfriForum, who attended the verdict.

Issued by AfriForum