It's Like A Knife To The Heart
YOU South Africa|17 December 2020
Two men were convicted of killing their son – now they’ve been acquitted
- Lesego Mkhize
It's Like A Knife To The Heart

‘WHY couldn’t it have been me? Why did my son have to die? He was so young and he had such a promising future ahead of him.”

These are the words of Sakkie Dingake (47), the grieving father of 16-year-old Matlhomola Moshoeu who died in Coligny, North West, in 2017 after being caught stealing sunflower heads worth around R60 from a farm in the area.

Sakkie’s wounds were reopened recently when Pieter Doorewaard and Phillip Schutte, the two farmers previously convicted of killing Matlhomola, were acquitted on appeal. The Supreme Court of Appeal overturned the guilty verdict and their jail sentences – 18 years for Doorewaard and 23 years for Schutte – are now null and void.

“I was at home when I heard what had happened,” Sakkie tells YOU. “I was watching the evening news when I found out that the men convicted of killing our son were now free.”

For Sakkie and his wife, Agness Moshoeu (46), the acquittal has brought back the pain of losing their son.

“Pieter and Phillip can just get on with their lives as if nothing happened,” Sakkie says. “They can have Christmas with their families. But our son is gone.

“We feel like the justice system has failed us. We have no closure now.”

Agness also wasn’t expecting the acquittal. “I was on my way home from town when I received a call from a shocked relative asking me if I’d heard the news. I was so shocked. It felt like the day we lost Matlhomola all over again.”

Basically, she adds, the law is saying “our beloved son killed himself ”.

この蚘事は YOU South Africa の 17 December 2020 版に掲茉されおいたす。

7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トラむアルを開始しお、䜕千もの厳遞されたプレミアム ストヌリヌ、9,000 以䞊の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしおください。

この蚘事は YOU South Africa の 17 December 2020 版に掲茉されおいたす。

7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トラむアルを開始しお、䜕千もの厳遞されたプレミアム ストヌリヌ、9,000 以䞊の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしおください。

YOU SOUTH AFRICAのその他の蚘事すべお衚瀺
HOW TO BE YOUR OWN THERAPIST
YOU South Africa

HOW TO BE YOUR OWN THERAPIST

With more and more of us struggling with our mental health, here's a common-sense guide to coping with life's ups and downs

time-read
5 分  |
5 December 2024
SPUD: THE MAGIC CONTINUES
YOU South Africa

SPUD: THE MAGIC CONTINUES

John van de Ruit tells us why he decided to write a sequel - and shares how his first book helped him find enduring love

time-read
5 分  |
5 December 2024
SEX CONTRACT GONE WRONG
YOU South Africa

SEX CONTRACT GONE WRONG

A Cape Town couple have been charged with using a young woman as a sex slave-but some say she lost the job she signed up for and now has a grudge against them

time-read
4 分  |
5 December 2024
LIAM LAID TO REST
YOU South Africa

LIAM LAID TO REST

More than a month after One Direction singer LIAM PAYNE (31) tragically fell to his death from a balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina, his loved ones finally got to say their goodbyes.

time-read
1 min  |
5 December 2024
SHILOH HANGS OUT
YOU South Africa

SHILOH HANGS OUT

THE two young women look like any pair of good friends chatting and laughing as they leave their dance class in Los Angeles.

time-read
1 min  |
5 December 2024
LEO IN LOVE
YOU South Africa

LEO IN LOVE

He's just turned 50 and it seems Leonardo DiCaprio may finally be ready to settle down

time-read
3 分  |
5 December 2024
PACKING A PUNCH
YOU South Africa

PACKING A PUNCH

Irish actor Paul Mescal beefed up for his role in the blockbuster epic Gladiator II - and fans are loving it

time-read
4 分  |
5 December 2024
I DIDN'T CHOOSE TO BE A LOVE CHILD
YOU South Africa

I DIDN'T CHOOSE TO BE A LOVE CHILD

As the illegitimate daughter of the king, she fought to be recognised as part of Belgium's royal family, but Princess Delphine says she still feels unwelcome

time-read
5 分  |
5 December 2024
'I STILL HAVE NIGHTMARES'
YOU South Africa

'I STILL HAVE NIGHTMARES'

A bite from a spitting cobra 13 years ago nearly killed her but Mikayla survived - and she's made peace with her scars

time-read
4 分  |
5 December 2024
THE CLAWS ARE OUT!
YOU South Africa

THE CLAWS ARE OUT!

Things have grown frosty between the Beckhams and the Sussexes as Becks comes out in clear support of William

time-read
7 分  |
5 December 2024