Valerie Enzer (Photo: Georgina Ford/Facebook)
A seventeen-year-old boy was sentenced to effectively 25 years in prison in connection with the murder of 79-year-old Valerie Enzer on a farm in the Klein-Karoo.
Eric Ntabazalila, spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), says the Western Cape division of the High Court in Cape Town imposed the sentence after the accused was found guilty in terms of a plea and sentence agreement. He was found guilty on charges of rape, murder and robbery with aggravating circumstances.
Enzer’s body was found on 14 July 2025 on the porch of her farmhouse outside Van Wyksdorp near Ladismith in the Klein-Karoo. The 17-year-old boy was arrested shortly afterwards.
Maroela Media reported earlier that the murder sent shockwaves through the small community and at the time residents presented a petition to the court asking that the accused not be released on bail.
“She was an incredibly talented artist and a remarkable woman with an alert spirit, unwavering passion and endless kindness,” Enzer’s daughter, Georgina Ford, said after her death. She was a talented artist and someone who approached her life with courage and creativity.
According to the NPA, the accused admitted in his plea explanation that he targeted Enzer because he knew she lived alone on the farm. He trespassed on the property, assaulted and raped her while she was defenseless. He then killed her with a metal chain.
He also stole several items from the farmhouse, including a laptop, mobile phone, wallet and handbag. The accused took some of the stolen items from the farm and used Enzer’s bank card to make a small purchase before distributing some of the stolen property to others.
Police later arrested him and recovered the stolen items after he took them to various locations.
Adv. René Uys emphasized the vulnerability of Enzer as an elderly woman who lived alone in a rural area during the sentencing hearing. The court was also told that the accused acted calculatedly and deliberately, which the state said showed a blatant disregard for human life and the rule of law.
The court also took into account the accused’s previous contact with the criminal justice system, including allegations of theft, animal cruelty and other violent behaviour. It was recorded that he had previously been assessed for criminal liability and that there was concern in the community about repeated alleged offenses and intimidation of vulnerable residents.
The court found that the seriousness and brutality of the crimes, despite the defendant’s age, justified a long term of imprisonment.
The court sentenced the accused to 20 years of direct imprisonment for rape, 25 years for murder and 15 years for robbery with aggravating circumstances. The sentences for rape and robbery will be in accordance with art. 280 of the Criminal Procedure Act be served together with the murder sentence. This means he will effectively spend 25 years behind bars.
The court also found him pursuant to art. 103 of the Firearms Control Act disqualified from possessing a firearm.
Adv. Adrian Mopp, Acting Director of Public Prosecutions in the Western Cape, welcomed the sentence and said it reflected the NPA’s firm stance against violent crime, especially crimes aimed at women and vulnerable members of society.
“This sentence confirms the justice system’s determination to hold perpetrators of heinous crimes accountable. We hope it brings some relief to the deceased’s family and the affected community,” says Mopp.