[Image: Open Street Map]
A brutal, premeditated home invasion in January 2018 has finally met justice, with the Northern Cape High Court handing down life sentences to seven ruthless criminals for the murder of renowned Kimberley businessman Piet Els.
The 86-year-old farmer and his partner were ambushed in their Carter Ridge farm home (pictured above) and subjected to unspeakable violence. Els suffered traumatic head injuries, enduring 111 days of agony before succumbing to his wounds. His 67-year-old partner was sexually and physically assaulted.
Judge President Kathy Satchwell condemned the crime as a heinous act of pure brutality, per IOL, emphasising not just the murder but the robbery and the chilling level of premeditation involved.
The perpetrators—Morapedi Rankali, 28, Motlalalentwe Qhautse, 37, Lizbeth Ndlala, 56, Themba Lawrence Maja, 68, Oupa Jeffrey Mahomane, 44, Samson Sam Mbokane, 63, and Jabulani Wilson Zuma, 62—were sentenced to life behind bars, their combined punishments exceeding a century.
Lieutenant-Colonel Sergio Kock painted a harrowing picture of the attack, noting how Els was tortured in his own home and his partner brutalised. The assailants looted cash, jewellery, firearms, and a luxury Mercedes-Benz before disappearing into the night.
But the horror didn’t end there. National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Mojalefa Senokoatsane exposed a sinister twist—Zuma, one of the convicted killers, had allegedly recruited and transported three traditional healers to perform cleansing rituals for the gang after the crime, a macabre attempt to erase their sins.
Adding to the controversy, Zuma, who audaciously claimed to be the son of former President Jacob Zuma, cast himself as a victim of persecution during the trial. The court dismissed his defense without hesitation.
The gang’s ties extended beyond South African borders, with confirmation that they collaborated with criminals from Lesotho.
Northern Cape Provincial Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Koliswa Otola hailed the investigating officers and prosecutors for their unyielding pursuit of justice, ensuring that those responsible for Els’ harrowing final days will never walk free again.
[Source: IOL]
