A life behind bars awaits Jaco Wessels Kemp (36), Louise Coetzee (29) and Gert Frederik van der Westhuizen (38), who, on the afternoon of September 16, 2023, left a braai and brutally assaulted a farm worker who had come to fetch water on a chicken farm in Brits, North West. Dumisani Phakathi later succumbed to his injuries. The trio has been sentenced to life imprisonment by the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria for premeditated murder.
Image: National Prosecuting Authority
What began as a routine chore ended in a gruesome act of violence that has left a community scarred and three individuals facing life behind bars. On the afternoon of September 16, 2023, Dumisani Phakathi, a local farm dweller, was walking past a chicken farm in Mamokgalieskraal, Brits in North West, to collect water from a nearby furrow—a common practice for residents in the area.
Inside the farm, three individuals—Jaco Wessels Kemp, 36; Louise Coetzee, 29; and Gert Frederik van der Westhuizen, 38—were holding a braai.
For reasons the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria later described as "no apparent reason" other than racial bias, the trio intercepted Phakathi.
The confrontation quickly turned into a relentless assault. Phakathi was dragged into a storage facility on the property, where the group continued the beating until he succumbed to his injuries.
The brutality of the crime was matched only by the coldness of the attempted cover-up. In the early hours of the following morning, a police stop-and-search operation on the R511 toward Brits intercepted a bakkie driven by Kemp and Coetzee.
The vehicle appeared to be hauling black refuse bags. However, during the inspection, officers noticed human legs protruding from beneath the plastic. A closer look revealed Phakathi’s bloodied body, his head wrapped in plastic, destined for a dumping site.
Kemp and Coetzee were immediately apprehended, while Van der Westhuizen surrendered himself two days later.
Throughout the trial, the three accused maintained a plea of not guilty, attempting to shift the blame onto one another. State Prosecutor Advocate Lawrence More dismantled these defences, presenting witness testimony that proved their joint involvement beyond a reasonable doubt.
Convicted murderers, Jaco Wessels Kemp, 36; Louise Coetzee, 29; and Gert Frederik van der Westhuizen, 38 were sentenced to life imprisonment on Friday by the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria for the premeditate "racially motivated" murder of farm worker Dumisani Phakathi in 2023 who was fatally assaulted. The court denied the trio leave to appeal their conviction and sentence.
Image: National Prosecuting Authority
On Friday, Judge Samuel Makamu of the Gauteng High Court sentenced the trio to life imprisonment.
The defence argued for leniency, citing the time the trio had already spent in custody and their responsibilities as parents. Adv More countered by highlighting the inhumane nature of the killing and the lack of provocation.
He also read a moving victim impact statement from Phakathi’s sister, who expressed a profound loss of trust in white people following the senseless killing of her brother.
"The only conclusion (the court) following sentence:
Life Imprisonment: All three accused received life sentences for premeditated murder.
Firearm Ban: All three were declared unfit to possess firearms, with orders to surrender all licenses and ammunition immediately.
The court also dismissed the trio's leave to appeal against the conviction and sentence. National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has welcomed the Friday ruling, stating that the sentence serves as a firm reminder of the accountability faced by those who commit violent crimes against the most vulnerable members of society.