A meticulous investigation into the murder of retired magistrate and rugby legend Pieter (Piet) Christiaan Bester has culminated with the Free State High Court sentencing the killer, Bangile Jan Dael, to 22 years’ imprisonment.
The court handed down the sentence on 3 February, based on compelling evidence after the murder on 11 January last year on his smallholding, Wag-‘n-Bietjie, in Glen, located 20km outside Bloemfontein.
The victim, Bester, was well-known, having played for the Free State Cheetahs and Griquas of the Northern Cape during his playing career, in addition to serving as a magistrate. He was 63 at the time he was murdered.
The convicted killer, Dael, had one previous conviction for murder. He had been employed by the deceased for approximately 17 years at the time of the incident.
The court acquitted the second accused, Letiscia Adams, while compelling evidence led to the conviction of Dael.
Both the SAPS and the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) of South Africa in the Free State have welcomed the sentencing just over a year after the incident.
Police detective Sgt Jan Greef of the Serious and Violent Crime, Murder and Robbery unit, conducted the investigation that led to successful prosecution by state prosecutor Adv Marius Strauss of the NPA.
Mojalefa Senokoatsane, spokesperson for the NPA in the Free State, said that Adams had been acquitted due to insufficient evidence linking her to the offence.
“She attempted to intervene, but was pushed away. Dael was sentenced after he pleaded guilty to the murder of retired magistrate Bester,” he said.
According to Senokoatsane, evidence presented in court revealed that Bester had succumbed to severe head injuries sustained during the attack.
During the sentencing, the deceased’s sister, Elsabe van den Berg, testified in aggravation of sentence, describing her brother as a compassionate and selfless individual who consistently placed the needs of others before his own – noting the fact that Bester had hired and given Dael a second chance in life, despite his previous conviction for murder.
The police investigation discovered that the incident occurred on 11 January at about 20:00.
Dael and his wife visited Bester at his residence, where alcohol was consumed.
A heated argument broke out between Dael and Bester, and it escalated into a physical fight.
During the fight, Dael went to a storeroom, retrieved a garden fork and used it to assault Bester.
After the victim collapsed in front of the garage, Dael and his wife abandoned the injured man and returned to their home.
According to the police, when they returned the following morning, Dael and Adams found Bester deceased, lying in the exact spot where he had fallen the previous night.
He was lying in a pool of blood, with multiple severe wounds.
The police stated that although the suspects had initially sought help from neighbours and reported the death to the police, the subsequent investigation revealed the violent nature of Bester’s death.
■ According to News24, Bester, renowned for his strength on the rugby field, made waves during the 1990s while playing for the Free State and Griquas in the Currie Cup competition.
His remarkable scrummaging skills made him a key figure in the tight five, despite not being the biggest tighthead prop at the start of his career.
