FROM THE COURTS: A former farm worker and an accomplice have been sentenced to life behind bars for murdering and robbing a farmer in Keimoes in the Northern Cape Province.

The 71-year-old Hugo van Sittert was murdered on his farm in February 2024.

Evidence presented before the court revealed that Van Sittert’s former employee, 25-year-old Laurenzo Matthys, and his 58-year-old accomplice, Henry Beukes, robbed the deceased of his vehicle, cash, groceries and a .22 hunting rifle before murdering him.

On 4 February 2024 two vigilant police officers, Warrant Officers William Mouers and Heinrich Titus, encountered the two suspects travelling in a vehicle belonging to Van Sittert.

The officers became suspicious when they noticed that the vehicle’s owner was not with the occupants. They questioned the suspects and then went to the farm.

On arrival, the officers found the house unoccupied and established that Beukes had sustained a gunshot wound to his hand while at the farm earlier.

Further investigations led to the recovery of the deceased’s firearm in the possession of the suspects. The body of the victim was later discovered in a shallow grave near the farm.

Mouers conducted the investigation and secured a successful prosecution of both accused.

On Wednesday, 28 October 2026 the two were sentenced to life imprisonment for murder, 15 years each for possession of an illegal firearm and robbery with aggravating circumstances.

The court ruled that both accused should never be considered for parole, citing the danger they pose to society and themselves.

The South African Police Service Management in the Northern Cape has welcomed the sentences.

The ZF Mgcawu District Commissioner, Major General Monica Sebili, applauded Mouers for his meticulous investigative work.

Sebili praised both Mouers and Titus for their vigilance, dedication and commitment, which led to the swift apprehension of the perpetrators.