June 3
SOUTH AFRICA:
Death penalty 'only deterrent' --Man tells how he killed farmer
2 judges at Pretoria High Court sentenced 2 farm killers to life
imprisonment on Thursday, but expressed doubt if the sentences would have
the required deterrent effect on crime.
Unemployed Kenny Kobai Mokalapa, 23, of Mamelodi East was sentenced to
life and 24 years' imprisonment for the execution-style killings of a
retired policeman, Douw Grobler, and his wife, Rika, at their Cullinan
smallholding in June 2003.
Acting Judge Piet van der Byl said Mokalapa must serve at least 35 years
of his sentence before being considered for release.
Killer begs forgiveness
Mokalapa was part of a gang of robbers who planned the attack in advance.
All of them were armed and they made off with the couple's vehicle,
personal jewellery and electronic goods.
Mokalapa admitted guilt and, in tears, begged his victims' family for
forgiveness.
2 other accused, who denied guilt, will go on trial separately in the High
Court on September 20.
Ironically, Grobler had been at the murder scene at a nearby smallholding
where 74-year-old Jacob van der Westhuizen died after being stabbed 39
times with a broken bottle, just a month previously.
Van der Westhuizen and his wife, Anna, were robbed of a few meagre
possessions.
Judge Johan Els sentenced their attacker, 46-year-old Johannes Motau, to
life and 50 years' imprisonment, but recommended that Motau spend the rest
of his natural life behind bars and never be considered for release.
In the Mokalapa case, Judge Van der Byl described the murders of the
retired couple as an abominable and cold-blooded attack on 2 people who
were defenceless when they were cornered in their own home by 5 criminals.
"This type of crime is taking on shocking proportions in our country.
"As I understand the crime wave, it is doubtful if the present minimum
sentence prescribed by the legislature has the desired effect on crimes
like these.
'It's a pity there isn't a death penalty'
"Maybe the time has come that the legislature considers allowing courts to
impose sentences that have a greater deterrent effect, for example to
sentence accused to imprisonment for the duration of their life," said
Judge Van der Byl.
The Grobler couple's son, Willem, reacted with great bitterness.
"There is no closure. It's a pity there isn't a death penalty any more,"
he said.
In the Motau case, Judge Els made even harsher comments, saying that there
was no order on many terrains in our society. No citizen in this country
felt safe any more, he added.
"The court heard evidence of attacks on smallholdings since 1995. In that
time, there were 12 murders and about 60 robberies or burglaries in that
area. It cannot be tolerated.
"I'm of the view that even life imprisonment is not a deterrent. These
crimes occur daily and I would have felt that the only deterrent and fit
sentence would be the death penalty," he said.
(source: News24)
