The DA in Limpopo welcomes the conviction and sentencing of the person responsible for the brutal murder of the elderly couple, Annika and Hendrik Claasen, at their residence at Echo Caves in the Sekhukhune District in June 2023.
Christopher Mgiba was sentenced to life imprisonment in the Polokwane High Court earlier this week on multiple charges, including housebreaking and theft, attempted murder, arson, assault GBH, and the murder of the couple.
We commend all those involved in securing this swift and successful conviction, and we trust that the family may find some solace from the conviction and sentencing of Mgiba.
We also recall, with appreciation, the many individuals and community-based organisations who rallied together at the time of the incident, leading to Mgiba ultimately being traced and arrested in Tembisa, Ivory Park, Gauteng.
The Democratic Alliance reiterates its longstanding position that farm murders must be treated as an urgent national priority. The murder of farmers and farmworkers undermines the food security of our nation. These crimes are not ordinary – they are premeditated, cruel, and economically devastating.
Rural South Africa needs boots on the ground, intelligence in the field, and justice in the courts.