The regional court in Winnie Mandela (formerly Brandfort) has sentenced Moeketsi Mphatlatsa, 35, to 20 years' imprisonment after a targeted and violent attack on a female farmer, Mimie Jacobs, a respected community figure and former recipient of the Farmer of the Year award.
“The attack occurred on February 22 2020, when the accused and two accomplices broke into Ms Jacobs’ home under the cover of darkness. They kicked down her door, tied her hands and feet with wire, and stabbed her multiple times, leaving her with serious neurological injuries,” National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Mojalefa Senokoatsane said on Monday.
During the attack, the assailants informed her that they knew she lived alone, suggesting a premeditated and calculated assault.
“Despite her injuries, Ms Jacobs displayed remarkable resilience. She managed to walk 7km to the nearest farmhouse to seek help.”
In his sentencing argument, prosecutor Puseletso Ali described the attack as “merciless and orchestrated”, underscoring that this was no ordinary crime of violence.
“This was a deliberate, targeted act against a vulnerable woman living alone on her farm, a space that should be a haven. Instead, she was terrorised, overpowered and stripped of her dignity and security. Such crimes demand the strongest possible response from the justice system,” Ali said.
The court sentenced Mphatlatsa to 15 years for housebreaking with intent to rob and robbery, five years for kidnapping and 10 years for assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.
The court ordered that the sentence for assault run concurrently with the sentence for housebreaking and robbery, meaning Mphatlatsa will serve an effective 20 years' direct imprisonment.
“These types of violent, organised attacks undermine safety, dignity and social cohesion, particularly in isolated rural settings,” Senokoatsane said.
TimesLIVE
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