MAKHADO – “We are pleased with the sentence. It sends out a clear message to murderers that they will not get away with it.”

This was Mr Herman de Jager’s response following the sentencing of his father’s murderer to 30 years imprisonment on May 13 this year by the circuit court.

Bethuel Mulaudzi was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment for the murder of the 65-year-old Mr Piet de Jager on his farm Laatsgevonden at Levubu in September 2003. He was also sentenced to ten years imprisonment for armed robbery following an attack on Mr Johan de Wilde, also from Levubu. A 12 month sentence for assault will be served with the ten year sentence.

Mulaudzi and four other suspects were arrested for the murder of elderly Mr De Jager. The cases against his four co-accused were however dropped due to a lack of evidence. It now seems that they too will have to face to full force of the law.

“Judge Legodi remarked that Mulaudzi could not have acted alone and ordered that the cases against the four other co-accuseds be re-opened,” Mr De Jager said. At this stage it is said that Mulaudzi, known to be the gang leader, will testify against his four co-accused.

“The hard work has been done, mainly due to the efforts of Judge Legodi,” Mr De Jager added. He had high praise for Judge Legodi and said that his handling of the case had restored his faith in the justice system. After almost two years, however, the sentencing of his father’s murderer holds little consolation.

“I was relieved, but as soon as I walked out of the court room I finally realized that nothing would bring back my father. I thought I would feel better, but I do not,” Mr De Jager said.

Mulaudzi’s arrest and subsequent conviction brought to an end a reign of terror stretching over several months in the quiet Levubu community. The Levubu police were vehemently criticised for their failure to bring the perpetrators to book, some people stating that the police were in cahoots with the criminals. It was only after the brutal and senseless murder of Mr De Jager that almost the whole management team at the Levubu SAPD were transferred.

Friday the 13th was definitely not a good day for Mulaudzi. Apart from being sentenced to three decades in jail, he still has to stand trail on charges of attempted murder and armed robbery following the brutal attack on yet another elderly Levubu resident, the 74-year-old Mr Frits Wagner in July 2003. Mr Wagner was shot and seriously wounded during a housebreaking.

In the meantime the chairman of the TAU-SA, Mr Dries Joubert welcomed the sentence. He too had high praise for Judge Legodi, stating that Legodi handled the case in a competent, open and fair way.