Yunus Kathrada

Yunus Kathrada (1953 - 2018)

Brief overview:

Yunus (65), was shot dead in a robbery. (multiple murder)

Between September and November 2018, the accused conspired to rob the house and wholesale business of the Kathrada family in Schweizer-Renecke. A close family friend of the Kathrada family, Muhammed Satar, set the robbery in motion by providing inside information on Ahmed’s movements on 1 November 2018, the day the crime was committed. The accused gained access to the Kathrada home when Moulana Ahmed Kathrada (29), entered the yard from the mosque. His mother, who at the time was home with her husband Yunus Kathrada, was opening the door for him when she heard his sudden scream. Yunus rushed out of the house to find out what the commotion was about and found his son shot. On giving chase to the suspect, who was trying to escape through the wall, he was also shot dead.

Brief Biography:

• Other Victims/Family
• Funeral/Memorial
• The Farm/Smallholding
• The Region (Land disputes, other incidents etc.)

Attack Details:

• Date and time of attack
• Weapons
• Items Stolen
• Investigative officer/SAPS Case No:
• Torture, Gratuitous violence
• Indications of Hate Crime? Threats etc.

Perpetrator details:

• Number and Descriptions
• Arrests
• Name/s and age/s of Perpetrator/s
  • The suspects are Xolani Andrew Sotshantsha (25), Mogomotsi Moruwa (31), Abiya Jeffrey Phakoane (60), Adam Mohale (31), Sello Bamphitile (29), Godfrey Thabiso Cuna (46), Kgotso Moeletsi (29), Thato Levett, (26), and a 16-year-old boy who cannot be named.
• Country of origin of Perpetrator/s
• Trial/Conviction
  • In sentencing, the court considered the Victim Impact Statement (VIS) prepared by Kathrada’s widow, in which she explained the devastating effect the death of her family members had had on her life and the trauma of witnessing their passing. She had been forced her into closing down the family business, which resulted in her employees losing their livelihoods, as well as relocating from the town in which she had spent 37 years of her life.
  • The court found no substantial and compelling circumstances to deviate from the minimum sentence. During the trial, the accused showed no remorse. After he was convicted, Satar apologised to the Kathrada family. The State Prosecutor, Advocate Sello Maema, argued that all the accused were driven by greed in committing these callous and brutal killings and that their gruesome act was premeditated.
  • Moeketsi was sentenced to two life imprisonments plus 10 years, 15 years and three years, which will run concurrently. Satar was sentenced to 15 years on each count of murder and 10 years for attempted robbery with aggravating circumstances, which will run concurrently. Mohale was sentenced to 15 years on two counts of murder, which will run concurrently.

Additional Biographical Information:

Links to Media articles:

• http://archive.is/Lqf8x
• http://archive.fo/Pngpi
• http://archive.fo/cVgNg
• http://archive.fo/NhWnU
• http://archive.fo/VLIg5