Janse van Rensburg Sarel

Age 76.At about 11:00 that morning, two men came to the farmhouse apparently asking for work and water. Sarel went into the house to fetch them water and was attacked inside. Early police reporting said he was forced into the house and assaulted with a sharp object. Later evidence presented during the trial gave a much fuller account: he was severely beaten, tied up and stabbed, and was ultimately killed by the attackers. Contemporary reporting also states that he sustained severe head injuries. His body was discovered by a farm employee who went to the farmhouse looking for meat. The employee found Sarel badly injured and raised the alarm. Two men were then seen fleeing through the area, and farm workers, neighbouring farmers and police joined the search. The two suspects were arrested within hours. Stolen property was recovered from them, and the safe at the farmhouse had been opened with an angle grinder; a firearm and cash were among the property reported stolen. The two accused were Papiki Mokwena, 22, and Eric Mtombeni/Mthombeni, 23. Both were prosecuted for the murder, armed robbery and unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition. They pleaded not guilty. The court rejected their explanation concerning how Sarel's blood came to be on their clothing, with the judge finding that the evidence showed they had personally attacked and murdered him. On 9 September 2015, acting Judge Andries Lambrechts found both men guilty of murder, armed robbery, and unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition. On 10 September 2015, both were sentenced to life imprisonment for murder, plus 15 years for armed robbery, three years for unlawful possession of a firearm, and 18 months for unlawful possession of ammunition.