Farmer 'instructed me to film': inside Fritz Joubert's house of horror

The man who filmed Fritz Joubert terrorising Anele Hoyana did so because he was “instructed” to by the sangoma's killer.

In a DispatchLIVE exclusive, Kwelerha farmer Sabelo Ngaka said he was the man who filmed Joubert’s erratic behaviour in the hours before he bludgeoned Hoyana to death and was later shot dead by police.

The footage has been widely circulated on social media.

While he has made several startling disclosures, Ngaka has failed to say why he continued to film.

“I’ll save my answers for court,” he said.  

Ngaka said he was one of three farmers who went to Joubert’s house after the 45-year-old called every farmer in the area saying there was “trouble” on his farm.

He thought Joubert was being attacked or had caught a stock thief, Ngaka said.

When Ngaka arrived at the home at 3am on Saturday, he found Joubert brandishing a stick and demanding that Hoyana kneel down.  

“He instructed me to film the minute I stepped inside the house. I was surprised to find him holding that guy  [Anele] hostage, because they had been staying together for some time.

“I didn't know Anele by name, but I had seen him there.”

Ngaka said Joubert called the Gonubie police, who later shot him dead.

He said he filmed two videos, but left in a hurry when Joubert became physically violent. 

“Yes, I filmed two videos on Fritz's instruction. One is six minutes and the other is three minutes. I have shared the videos with the police and everyone who requested them,” he said.

Ngaka said he tried to stop Joubert, but he refused and started talking “nonsense”.

“I left Fritz while he said he was waiting for other farmers to arrive before he begins with punishing Anele,” Ngaka told DispatchLIVE.

Joubert used the neighbourhood watch WhatsApp group to call all 11 members to his farm, he said.

“The majority ignored the call. Only three showed up, including myself,” Ngaka said.

When he left, the other farmers were still there, he said.

He did not identify them.

“I returned after the incident [killing] and heard the police asking about a Sabelo, who was mentioned in one of many videos posted by Fritz, and I presented myself [to them].

“The police took my number and promised to call me for a statement.

“I am still waiting.”

In one of the videos circulating on social media, Joubert can be heard pleading with Sabelo not to go.

A police officer in the area, who spoke to the Dispatch on condition of anonymity, said Joubert was an “arrogant” power lines contractor who did not care about others until his business took a dive and he lost his trucks.

“I once responded to an accident where he hit someone’s cow with one of his trucks. He never showed sympathy or remorse. He was very arrogant, as if he had done nothing.

“But lately he started greeting people and asked to be added on one of the neighbourhood WhatsApp groups.”

On Monday night, 30 members of the EFF stormed Joubert’s property as a “show of force against racism”.

EFF spokesperson Mziyanda Hlekiso said they had left the house for now because they did not want to disturb Hoyana’s spirit and wanted to give the family space.

“Once this period is over, we will fully occupy the house,” he said.  

Hoyana's funeral will be held at the Hoyana homestead in Kwelerha, starting at 8am on Saturday.