One of three men convicted of murdering retired Durbanville NGK dominee Pietie Victor sentenced to life imprisonment by the Cape High Court on Thursday.
Rashied Naidoo, who moved to Cape Town from Durban a few years ago, received an additional 16 years — including one year for the illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition.
His accomplice Andre Esau was jailed for 17 years and Riedewaan Cornelius for 23 years, for their part in the crime.
Victor was fatally wounded in an exchange of fire with the three men as they fled after robbing his neighbours, Pieter and Delores Theron.
Murder and robbery had become a scourge in the country, and he would be failing in his duty if he did not do his best to eradicate it by imposing stiff jail sentences, said Judge Siraj Desai.
Armed robberies at private homes usually ended in death or serious injury to innocent people, and caused instability in their lives.
”For armed criminals to burst into the homes of the elderly, cause chaos and rob the occupants, is so reprehensible that only severe sentences are appropriate.”
The trauma of the robbery would have long-term effects on Delores Theron, who was busy in her kitchen when the three burst in at noon on September 19 2003, Desai found.
Victor himself was ”a man in a million”, who evidently cared for all, especially the ”outcasts and downcasts”.
He would have been proud of his two daughters for their lack of malice against the three killers, and for their support and devotion to their widowed mother.
Instead of revenge, Victor’s wife and family had asked the court to act in the interests of the community in sentencing the three.
”I think that is also what the deceased would have wanted”.
Desai found that Naidoo fired the shot that killed Victor and ruled that although guilty of murder and robbery through common purpose, the circumstances of Cornelius’ involvement justified a less severe sentence.
Esau, he found, had reformed in prison and impressed the court with his honesty and humility.
It was difficult to believe that he was involved in the robbery at the Theron home, Desai said. – Sapa