Louis Johannes van Wyk

Louis van Wyk (1936 – 2013)

Brief overview:

Elderly couple, Louis van Wyk (77) and his partner, Susarah Joubert (77), were attacked in their home in Nigel by a gang of armed black men. The gang gained entry to their home through an open window on the evening of 29 July 2013. Susarah was severely injured during the attack and is currently being treated in a Heidelberg hospital. Louis, who was wheelchair bound, was murdered. The gang fled on foot after the attack.

At the end of June 2016 five men appeared in the Pretoria High Court. Two career criminals went on a murder spree of farmers during 2014. Knowledge Paulus Mandlazi (28) of Ikaneng (who showed the court his middle finger) was sentenced to five terms of life imprisonment for murdering five men on farms in the Brits area and a further 38 years effective imprisonment on four charges of attempted murder, six of robbery, two of housebreaking and the unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition. Mandlazi said he commited the robberies because he hated white people and wanted their money. He described the robberies and murders as merely “going to work”.

Mandlazi’s sentences will run concurrently with the 25-year prison sentence he is currently serving for a murder and robbery. The charges followed four armed attacks on farms in the Brits area between March and June 2014 in which four men were killed and several people injured and robbed. Judge Billy Mothle said it was terrifying that Mandlazi described the robberies and murders as “going to work”. His accomplice John Tivane (31), from Mozambique, was sentenced to life and a further 25 years effective imprisonment on three charges of murder, three of attempted murder, five of robbery and two of housebreaking.

Mandlazi and Tivane were also found guilty of murdering their accomplice, Mathosi Sithole, who was shot dead by a victim (Louis van Wyk Jnr) during one of the attacks. The victims: Leander Dercksen (22) murdered in the fields on their farm in Soutpansdrift in March 2014. He was shot in the head and neck and and the robbers fled with his vehicle. In April 2014, Danie Dercksen (45) of Geluk was having a braai with his family when they were attacked. Danie was shot in the chest and died while his brother Bennie was wounded. Louis van Wyk (55), his wife Hester and his son Louis Jr (27) were attacked at their house in Kareepoort in May 2014. Van Wyk Sr was shot in the head a stomach and died in hospital. Louis Jr shot and killed one of the robbers. In June 2014, Joshua Joubert (70), was shot in the chest and abdomen while visiting family in Mamogalieskraal. A family member, Josias van der Schyff, was also severely assaulted and almost killed during the attack.

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
• Country of origin of Perpetrator/s
• Trial/Conviction

Additional Biographical Information:

Links to Media articles:

• http://archive.is/4eRLz
• https://archive.is/5aZPN
• Reference: MyHeritage Family Trees - SmartCopy: Jul 4 2019, 18:09:40 UTC