Guilty as charged: Seven found guilty of Komatipoort farmer’s murder
The Simonsvlei Farm's manager, Deon de Bruyn, was shot and killed on June 17, 2018. Seven men were found guilty of his murder on Friday September 23.
The seven men implicated in the 2018 farm murder of Deon de Bruyn and attack on his employer, Estelle Jansen, were found guilty of murder and attempted murder today (September 23) in the Mpumalanga High Court.
De Bruyn’s family has been present at every single court session and wept tears of relief when Judge Hein Brauckmann handed down the guilty verdict this afternoon.
After four and a half years of waiting for justice, De Bruyn’s parents, Susan and Deon, said they were very happy with the ruling and found the judge’s decision was the right one.
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The accused, Sifiso Madonsela, Solomon Msimango, Raul Mhlanga, Derrick Makamu, Oscar Chauke, Hendry Mahonga and Fannie Mkhabela, were all found guilty of the murder of De Bruyn, and the attempted murder of Jansen. They were also found guilty of robbery with aggravating circumstances, the unlawful possession of a firearm and the unlawful possession of ammunition.
The men are due to appear back in the Mpumalanga High Court on December 6 and 8 for sentencing. They have been remanded in custody until their next court appearance.
De Bruyn’s family and Jansen’s are expected to read out their victim impact statements at the sentencing.
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De Bruyn, who was just 25 at the time of his death, was shot and killed on June 17, 2018.
He was the manager of the Simonsvlei Farm in the Strydomblok area near Komatipoort when he and Jansen were overpowered by three balaclava-clad men. The intruders fired shots wildly, striking De Bruyn once in the heart and killing him instantly. Jansen was shot three times and was lucky to survive the ambush.
Read the full story in next week’s Lowvelder.
