The Western Cape police Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant General Tembisele Patekile commended the efforts of the investigating officers and the prosecution team who all contributed to the hefty sentence handed down on 14 suspects this morning in the Cape High Court. The result of the lengthy court case came as a result of a collaboration between police and communities, where the community came forward and took charge of their area, whilst working in close unison with the police.
Judge Chantal Fortuin incarcerated the suspects to an effective life imprisonment for the murder and kidnapping of six young men on 10 December 2014 on a farm in Joostenbergvlakte, Kraaifontein. The suspects aged between 25 and 56 stoned, stabbed and sjambokked the victims after suspecting them to be responsible for the death of a security guard.
Lieutenant General Patekile appealed to the communities not to harbour these callous and ruthless killers living among the law abiding citizens. Without the involvement of the community it is a mammoth task to win this war against crime alone. We will not share our space with criminals who contribute to terrorise the community.