Johannesburg | Thursday
THREE of the four men convicted for the 1999 murder of two black men in Parys in the Free State, were sentenced on Thursday to 20-years in prison in the town’s circuit court.
The fourth man, a former policeman, received a 17-year sentence.
On Wednesday the three young men, Johannes Mattheys Smith (19) Andries Christiaan Viljoen (20) and Wetzue Christiaan Botes (21) were convicted for both murders.
Eben Morne Kruger (26) was convicted on a single count of murder.
Tshekiso Sam Lebatla (62) and 56-year-old Andries Songelwa were attacked and beaten to death in the early hours of October 31, 1999.
In his judgment, Judge SP Hancke said that Smith, Viljoen and Botes went on a drinking and dagga smoking spree before attacking the two men.
They had told friends that they were going to ”attack black people”.
Hancke said Lebatla, who weighed only 50kg, was unable to defend himself against his attackers.
He reprimanded Kruger for forsaking his duty as a policeman and not stopping the attack on Songelwa who was partly disabled.
According to evidence given by police, Kruger took part in the second attack.
Hancke rejected Kruger’s testimony that he had to use force to disarm Songelwa.
Northern Free State police representative Inspector Steven Thakeng said Kruger had indicated that he would appeal against his sentence.
He could not confirm whether the other three would appeal. – Sapa