THREE FARMERS CONVICTED OF MURDER OF A FARM DWELLER
18 FEBRUARY 2026
THREE FARMERS CONVICTED OF MURDER OF A FARM DWELLER
The High Court of South Africa has found three farmers, Jaco Wessels Kemp (36), Louise Coetzee (29), and Gert Frederik van der Westhuizen, guilty of the murder of Dumisani Phakathi, an adult male farm dweller.
On 16 September 2023, the three farmers, were having a braai at the chicken farm in Mamokgalieskraal. At approximately 16h00, they saw Phakathi walking past the farm gate on his way to collect water from a nearby furrow, which community members commonly used as a water source. The three approached him and assaulted him. They then dragged him into a storage facility inside the chicken farm, where the assault continued until he succumbed to his injuries.
In the early hours of 17 September 2023, at approximately 02h00, Kemp and Coetzee were stopped by police during a stop-and-search operation on the R511 towards Brits while driving a bakkie. 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 on 19 September 2023 after investigations linked him to the offence.
In court, all three accused pleaded not guilty to the charges and to shifted blame onto one another. However, the State Prosecutor, Advocate Lawrence More, presented compelling evidence through State witnesses, proving the State’s case beyond a reasonable doubt.
The matter has been postponed to 16 March 2026 for sentencing proceedings.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) welcomes the conviction and reiterates its commitment to ensuring accountability for violent crimes, particularly those committed against vulnerable members of society.
Issued by:
Lumka Mahanjana
NPA Regional Spokesperson
Gauteng Division: Pretoria
073 002 0000