Three Brits farmers convicted of farm dweller’s murder
Three farmers have been found guilty of the murder of a farm dweller , Dumisani Phakathi, in Brits, North West.
The High Court in Pretoria heard that in September 2023, the accused confronted the victim at a farm in Mamogaleskraal after seeing him walking past their gate to collect water from a nearby furrow.
He was dragged into a storage facility, where he was assaulted until he died.
The accused, Jaco Kemp, Louise Coetzee, and Gert van der Westhuizen pleaded not guilty and blamed one another.
"Kemp and Coetzee were stopped by police during a stop-and-search operation on the R511 towards Brits while driving a bakkie," said Gauteng National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana.
"The vehicle was loaded with black refuse bags. During the search, police noticed human legs protruding from underneath the bags.
"Upon further inspection, they discovered the bloodied body of the deceased, with his head covered in plastic. Kemp and Coetzee were immediately arrested at the scene."
Van der Westhuizen handed himself over to the police after investigations linked him to the offence.
The matter has been postponed to 16 March for sentencing proceedings.
