The Waterkloof Four have been sentenced by the Pretoria Regional Court to 12 years’ imprisonment for the murder of an unidentified man.
Christoff Becker, Frikkie du Preez, Gert van Schalkwyk and Reinach Tiedt stood throughout the hour-long reading of the sentence on Tuesday by magistrate Len Kotze.
They were also sentenced to two months for the assault of another man. The two sentences are to run concurrently.
However, they were granted leave to appeal.
”This was a cruel murder committed by four cowards,” Kotze said about the 2001 incident.
Their parents and friends who packed the courtroom gave an audible sigh of relief at hearing they would be able to appeal.
Their bail has also been extended, meaning that they will not go to prison pending the outcome of their appeal.
”We are very happy that [their] bail has been extended pending the outcome of the appeal,” their lawyer, Oelaff de Meyer, said. — Sapa