(Archive photo: Kent Williamson)
Two men were sentenced to 20 years in prison each after they attacked, tied up and robbed an elderly couple on their farm near Smithfield in the Free State.
Maseli Silence Sechaba (29) and Sammy Paint Pakiso (38) pleaded guilty to charges of aggravated robbery, kidnapping, breach of the Cybercrimes Act, fraud and possession of suspected stolen property.
The attack took place on 3 August last year when the couple, Gerald Diedericks (81) and his wife Althea (79) returned to their farm after a church service.
According to the police, the Althea noticed that the kitchen door was ajar. When she entered the house to investigate, she was ambushed by two armed men.
She was assaulted, stabbed in the hand and forced with a knife to go outside again, where her husband approached the house. The couple were then forced into the house and tied with cable ties.
The attackers ransacked the house and stole mobile phones, cash and jewellery. They also forced Gerald to transfer R15 000 to a bank account of a relative of one of the accused.
After breaking open a safe and stealing another R6 000 and jewellery, they kidnapped Gerald in his Mercedes-Benz. He was later tied to a tree and left there.
Althea was able to free herself, despite the injuries she sustained. She climbed a nearby mountain to get cell phone signal and called local farmers and the police.
A quick and coordinated response resulted in the suspects being stopped on the road to Bethulie. Sechaba and Pakiso were arrested and handed over to the Smithfield police. All the stolen property, including the Mercedes-Benz, was recovered.
Further investigation revealed that Sechaba previously worked on the farm.
The case was investigated by Detective Const. Larochell Macpherson of the provincial serious and violent crime unit investigated. The police say thorough detective work and cooperation with the prosecuting authority led to the accused pleading guilty.
Sechaba and Pakiso were each sentenced to 20 years in prison for aggravated robbery; five years for kidnapping; four years for breaching the Cybercrimes Act; four years for fraud and one year for possession of suspected stolen property.
The court ordered that the sentences be served concurrently, meaning that each was effectively sentenced to 20 years of direct imprisonment. They were also declared ineligible to own a firearm.
Lt. Gen. Thabang Lesia, the Free State police commissioner, praised Macpherson and the prosecution team for their work on the case.
“This sentence sends a clear message that attacks on our agricultural communities will be met with the full force of the law.”