TWO MEN SENTENCED TO LENGTHY PRISON TERMS FOR FATAL ERMELO FARM ATTACK
The Mpumalanga Provincial Commissioner of the South African Police Service (SAPS), Lieutenant General Apaphia Modise, has welcomed the sentencing of two men convicted in connection with a deadly farm attack that claimed the life of 63-year-old Jannie Weideman.
The Mpumalanga Division of the High Court, sitting in Delmas, handed down the sentences on 22 October 2026, bringing the two accused closer to accountability for the brutal murder and robbery.
The incident occurred on 22 December 2023 at approximately 22:00 at Roodepoort Farm in Ermelo.
According to the police, members of the Ermelo SAPS were dispatched to the farm following a complaint. Upon arrival, they found security officers who reported seeing a suspect fleeing from the house while they were conducting patrols.
When the security officers entered the residence to investigate, they discovered Weideman lying motionless on the lounge floor. Police subsequently entered the house and found that the victim had sustained multiple gunshot and stab wounds. Several spent 9mm cartridge cases were recovered at the scene.
Emergency Medical Services personnel declared Weideman dead at the scene.
Further investigations revealed that a red Toyota Hilux, firearms, ammunition and jewellery had been stolen from the property. The stolen vehicle was later recovered abandoned in Breyten.
The case was subsequently assigned to the SAPS Provincial Murder and Robbery Unit for further investigation.
In January 2024, four men were arrested in Ermelo, during which firearms and ammunition were recovered. Two of the accused later pleaded guilty to charges of murder and robbery with aggravating circumstances.
The court sentenced the two men as follows:
1. Mbongeni Walter Nkosi (36)
Nkosi was sentenced to 20 years' imprisonment for murder and 10 years for robbery with aggravating circumstances. The court ordered that five years of the robbery sentence run concurrently with the murder sentence, resulting in an effective prison term of 25 years.
2. Mxolisi Sibusiso Mnisi (38)
Mnisi received a 20-year sentence for murder, with two years suspended for five years on condition that he is not convicted of an offence involving violence during the suspension period. This effectively leaves him with 18 years' imprisonment for the murder conviction.
He was also sentenced to eight years' imprisonment for robbery with aggravating circumstances. The court ordered that three years of the robbery sentence run concurrently with the murder sentence, resulting in an effective prison term of 23 years.
Meanwhile, proceedings against Bongani Khoza have been postponed to 20 November 2028 for trial at the Mpumalanga Division of the High Court, which will be sitting in Breyten.
The fourth individual involved in the matter was granted indemnity in terms of Section 204 of the Criminal Procedure Act. His identity has therefore been withheld.
Lieutenant General Modise commended the investigation team, prosecution team and judiciary for their dedication and professionalism in ensuring that those responsible for the crime were brought before the courts.
She welcomed the outcome as a demonstration of the commitment of law enforcement and the justice system to holding perpetrators accountable for serious and violent crimes.