Three Farmers Jailed for Life Over Brutal Murder of
Three Farmers Jailed for Life Over Brutal Murder of Farm Dweller
The Gauteng Division of the High Court of South Africa, sitting in Pretoria, has sentenced three farmers to life imprisonment each for the premeditated murder of Dumisani Phakathi, a farm dweller, in a case the presiding judge described as racially motivated.
Jaco Wessels Kemp (36), Louise Coetzee (29), and Gert Frederik van der Westhuizen (38) were convicted of killing Phakathi on 15 September 2023 at a chicken farm in Mmakgalieskraal.
According to court evidence, the trio spotted Phakathi walking past the farm gate around 4pm while they were braaiing. They approached and assaulted him before dragging him into a storage facility on the property, where the beating continued until he died from his injuries.
In the early hours of the following morning, police officers acting on a tip-off stopped Kemp and Coetzee on the R511 towards Brits. Their bakkie was loaded with black refuse bags; officers discovered Phakathi’s bloodied body inside, his head wrapped in plastic. They were arrested on the spot. Van der Westhuizen handed himself over to police three days later after being linked to the crime.
All three pleaded not guilty and attempted to shift blame onto one another. However, state prosecutor Advocate Lawrence More presented overwhelming evidence, including witness testimony, that proved their guilt beyond reasonable doubt.
During sentencing, the accused asked the court to deviate from the prescribed minimum sentence, citing time already spent in custody and family responsibilities, including children. The state rejected this, arguing the killing was senseless and inhumane. The victim’s body had been stuffed into refuse bags in an apparent attempt to dump it.
The judge agreed with the prosecution, noting the accused showed “no remorse” and that the only reasonable conclusion was that the murder was racially motivated. He also declared all three unfit to possess firearms and ordered them to surrender any weapons, ammunition, and permits.
Victim impact statements read in court revealed the profound trauma inflicted on Phakathi’s family. His sister stated she no longer trusts white people because of the incident.
The case has drawn widespread attention on social media, with many South Africans welcoming the outcome as a strong stand against farm-related violence, regardless of the victims’ or perpetrators’ backgrounds.
