Two men who murdered a North West farmer have been sentenced in the Koster Regional Court.
Wahasele Hazekiel Majoro, 33, and Tumelo Martin Katali, 41, were convicted of theft and the murder of 71-year-old Ephraim Diloro.
The court heard the incident took place on April 4, 2022, at the victim’s home in Koster.
The investigations revealed that one of the men worked as a herder on Diloro's farm.
On the night of the incident, Majoro and Katali visited the victim’s home and borrowed R200 from him. They demanded more money and when Diloro refused, they strangled him to death.
After the murder, the duo stole his bakkie and attempted to flee to Lesotho. However, at the Lesotho border post, police officers stopped them and upon inspection discovered the bakkie was likely stolen.
They went a step further and tried to bribe the officers but this failed and further investigations confirmed the vehicle belonged to the deceased. They were arrested and linked to the murder.
During sentencing, State Prosecutor Sangweni Zimena argued against deviating from the prescribed minimum sentence, citing the prevalence of farm murders in the district.
Magistrate Sagakweng Moeng emphasised the court’s duty to protect vulnerable members of society and he noted the two men acted in common purpose to commit the heinous crime against an elderly man.
The court subsequently sentenced the men to life imprisonment for the murder and 10 years imprisonment each for the theft.
The Director of Public Prosecutions, Dr Rachel Makhari commended the investigation and prosecutorial teams.
“This sentence sends a strong message to would-be offenders that justice will prevail, and those who commit such crimes will face the full might of the law,” Dr Makhari said.
robin.francke@iol.co.za
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