Three farmers found guilty of brutally assaulting and murdering farm dweller Dumisani Phakathi
The High Court in Pretoria has found three farmers guilty of the 2023 murder of farm dweller Dumisani Phakathi after his body was discovered during a police stop-and-search on the R511.
Image: Zelda Venter
The High Court in Pretoria has convicted Jaco Wessels Kemp, 36, Louise Coetzee, 29, and Gert Frederik van der Westhuizen of the murder of Dumisani Phakathi following a violent assault at a chicken farm in Mamokgalieskraal in September 2023.
IOL previously reported that the three were standing trial in the Pretoria High Court for the brutal killing after police discovered Phakathi’s body in a vehicle during a stop-and-search operation along the R511 towards Brits.
According to the National Prosecuting Authority, the trio were having a braai at the farm on September 16, 2023 when they saw Phakathi walking past the gate on his way to collect water from a nearby furrow commonly used by community members.
The court heard that the three approached Phakathi and assaulted him before dragging him into a storage facility on the premises, where the assault continued until he succumbed to his injuries.
In the early hours of September 17, 2023, at about 2 am, Kemp and Coetzee were stopped by police during a stop-and-search operation on the R511 while driving a bakkie loaded with black refuse bags.
Police noticed human legs protruding from underneath the bags and, upon further inspection, discovered Phakathi’s bloodied body with his head covered in plastic. Kemp and Coetzee were immediately arrested at the scene.
Van der Westhuizen handed himself over to police on September 19, 2023 after investigations linked him to the offence.
During the trial, all three accused pleaded not guilty and attempted to shift blame onto one another. However, State Prosecutor Advocate Lawrence More presented evidence through state witnesses that proved the State’s case beyond a reasonable doubt.
NPA Gauteng regional spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana welcomed the conviction.
“The NPA welcomes the conviction and reiterates its commitment to ensuring accountability for violent crimes, particularly those committed against vulnerable members of society,” Mahanjana said.
The matter has been postponed to March 16, 2026 for sentencing proceedings.
IOL News