Donne Dennis Delafield

Donne Dennis Delafield (1934 – 1998)

Brief overview:

Donne (62), and his wife, Verina Elizabeth Delafield (52), lived on the farm Leeupoort near Rustenburg. Donne was handicapped and walked with the aid of a walking frame. Verina was last seen alive the morning of 15 May 1998, when she bought a newspaper at a shop in town. When a domestic worker went to their home the morning of the 17th, there was no answer. She reported it to the father of Verina who lived nearby on the same farm, and he went to investigate. He found both of them murdered.

Donne was lying in the passage, stabbed to death, and his wife was in the bedroom, hit over the head with a fire poker. Verina had also been raped.

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
  • Their watches, jewelry and a pistol had been stolen.
• Investigative officer/SAPS Case No:
• Torture, Gratuitous violence
• Indications of Hate Crime? Threats etc.
  • The murder caused great controversy at the time when a letter found at the scene stated that murders of white farmers would continue unless Apla members were released from prison by the government.
  • Two notes written by the attacker were found in the house, addressed to ‘Mr. Mandela’. A notepad in the dining room contained the following words: ‘Viva Apla. Mr Mandela think about the political prisoners. Released all Apla cadres and fair integration into SAPS and correctional services. Zimberi and co. Don’t forget Benoni six month child.’
  • The following had been written in an exercise book found in the bedroom: ‘Fair integration for all. Release all Apla cadres. Carl Zimberi. Released all Apla cadres Mr Mandela. Fair integration. Viva Apla.’

Perpetrator details:

• Number and Descriptions
• Arrests
  • As a result of information given by an informer, Elias Molefi (28) was traced in Carltonville on 16 July 1998 and arrested. He was connected with the attack by means of forensic evidence, such as fingerprints and DNA comparisons.
• Name/s and age/s of Perpetrator/s
• Country of origin of Perpetrator/s
• Trial/Conviction
  • The man who gruesomely murdered a couple on their farm in the area three years ago was sentenced to life imprisonment twice in the circuit court this week.
  • Elias Mmoni Molefe (31) was also sentenced to 18 years in prison for robbery, 20 years for rape, three years for illegal possession of a firearm and one year for illegal possession of ammunition.
  • Molefe, a former scout of the SANW in Potchefstroom who says he is a recruit from Azapo, was found guilty of murdering the disabled Donne Delafield (65) and his wife, Verina (52), from the farm Pap en Betaal.
  • He was indicted in the High Court, Transvaal, on 26 February 2001 and sentenced to life imprisonment on each of the murder counts and to 18 years imprisonment for the robbery and 20 years for the rape.
  • Molefi pleaded guilty at the trial and no evidence was lead. It is therefore not clear exactly what had happened, but he did tell the investigating officer what had taken place. According to the information he went to the house after Mrs. Delafield had left, and he attacked and killed her husband. He then waited for Mrs. Delafield to return, eating, drinking.

Additional Biographical Information:

• ID Number : 3009275032082
• Official cause of death : Unnatural causes

Committee Of Inquiry Into Farm Attacks 2003 - Comments:

• The perpetrator was 28 years of age and lived in Krugersdorp. It seems that he was related to the domestic worker and that he obtained information that way.
• He waited till Mrs. Delafield had left and then attacked the near helpless Mr Delafield, who was a cripple and 62 years of age. It is obvious that he had observed their movements carefully.
• He then waited for Mrs. Delafield to return, whom he attacked, raped and killed.
• He was only arrested two months later. The value of informers to assist the police in this type of situation is clearly demonstrated.
• Carl Zimberi was one of the attackers involved in the St James Church massacre in Cape Town.
• The ‘Benoni six month child’ was probably the black baby killed by a ricochet bullet when a white smallholder fired shots in the direction of a girl walking across his property with the baby.
• During the trial the accused wanted a black judge. This is one of the few later cases where any political or racial views have been expressed overtly.
• There was a call for the release of all Apla cadres. Molefi had been a member of APLA and had been integrated into the SAND(SADF), but was later dismissed.

Links to Media articles:

• https://africacheck.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Final-Report-Com...
• https://web.archive.org/web/20071012091652/http://www.matriots.com/...
• https://www.geni.com/documents/view?doc_id=6000000189092801825
• https://archive.is/KaTTx
• https://journals.co.za/doi/pdf/10.10520/AJA10128093_378
• https://archive.ph/rSuvx