Slain dominee's family speaks
2005-12-01 22:34
Llewellyn Prince
Cape Town - The family of murdered Dominee Pietie Victor are relieved that the prison sentences his killers will have to serve will protect others from the grief that they had to go through.
Judge Siraj Desai sentenced André Esau, 32, to 17 years', Rashied Naidoo, 28, to life imprisonment and Riedewaan Cornelius, 28, to 23 years' jail.
The Victor family said after the sentencing that it had nothing to do with serving the jail terms, but more to do with the three not being able, for a long time, to inflict similar pain on other families.
Annette Victor, widow of the 68-year-old retired minister from Durbanville, and their two daughters, Lizann Victor and Madri Gerber, said after the trial that "he (Victor) had so much compassion for his fellow men".
Always felt so safe with him
Mrs Victor said: "It is still hard to realise that he was murdered.
"He was not afraid of anything.
"It was always wonderful for me and the children to feel so safe in his company because he always carried his firearm to protect us."
"Justice has now been done, but nothing will bring him back.
"We have to live with this void in future, but he will also live within us."
After sentence was passed, the family distributed Victor's last book, Met Christus op Straat, to people in court.
Victor, 68, was shot dead in August 2003 when he approached the men after they had entered the home of his neighbours, Pieter and Delores Theron, to rob them.
When passing sentence on Thursday, Judge Desai said the Theron couple were aged people who were still in a traumatised state.
"The murdered man was a person of a quality that you don't often come across.
"He practised his calling to assist all people in need, without any qualms and irrespective of gender, creed or race, and he lived the axiom that God loves all people."
Judge Desai said the Victor family was not asking for revenge, but that action should be taken in the interests of the community and "I believe that this would also have been the wish of the deceased".
"I am not allowed to let the community down and I have to do what I have to do to prevent other people from being subjected to the same ordeal."
According to Judge Desai, Esau was converted while in jail and he was "impressed by his honesty and humility".
Sophisticated alibi
"Naidoo was a calculated, arrogant individual who did his best to protect Cornelius.
"However, Naidoo was the one who pulled the trigger and caused Dominee Victor's death."
According to Judge Desai, Cornelius had fabricated a sophisticated alibi and kept to it right to the end "in spite of the overwhelming evidence against him".
Judge Desai also refrained from indemnifying a Woodstock policeman - who allegedly helped Cornelius in preparing an alibi - from being prosecuted.
- Die Burger