Daniel Smit judgment welcomed by Rural and Farmworkers Development Organisation

CAPE TOWN - The Rural and Farmworkers Development Organisation has welcomed the judgment delivered in the case against Daniel Smit.

The 58-year-old man was on Monday found guilty of the premeditated murder of 13-year-old Jerobejin Van Wyk in Klawer in February 2022.
 
He had killed the teenager in his home after accusing him and a friend of stealing fruit from his garden. 
 
Smit, who had been taught to kill in his youth when he was part of an occult group, has also been convicted of attempted murder, kidnapping, violating a corpse, and defeating the ends of justice.
 
The organisation's Billy Claasen said, "We welcome the judgement in this case, and this is a step in the right direction to get justice for Jerobejin. We have been with the family since the start of this and we are still here, and we think this is a very good day for justice in our rural areas."
 
Claasen said all too often, crimes happening in rural communities get swept under the rug.
 
"We really want to applaud the prosecutor for getting justice, to see that there is attempted murder and also premeditated murder in this case. We are really looking forward to the sentencing, to see this man get life."
 
Sentencing proceedings resume in the High Court sitting in Vredendal later Tuesday morning.