A man who vandalised the tombstone of the late Norman Mashabane, former South African ambassador to Indonesia, at Lydenburg Cemetary has expressed remorse to Mashabane’s family.

Marthinus Voster, an inmate at Barberton Correctional Services, was arrested in 2010 and charged with conspiracy to commit terrorism, vandalism and possession of explosives and a firearm.

He was tried at the Phalaborwa Magistrate’s Court, found guilty and sentenced to five years in prison.
Voster, who is set to be released on parole at the end of this month, recently requested that the authorities of Lydenburg Correctional Services arrange a victim-offender dialogue with the family.
“I would like to apologise. I hope you will find it in your heart to forgive me,” he said to Mashabane’s family members.

The area coordinator of Barberton Correctional Centre, Graven Nkosi, said, “We are happy as a department to see that our programme is yielding positive results. This mediation was a success, and it shows restorative justice and rehabilitation works.”

Nkosi further stated that he believed the Mashabane and Voster families would find peace and put the past behind them.

Present during the dialogue was Mashabane’s younger brother, Steven, who said that although the family was deeply hurt by Vorster’s actions, they appreciated the gesture.
“We appreciate the bravery and effort of the offender in trying to make peace,” he concluded.