Life Sentences Handed Down In Aurora Double Murder Case

In a significant move towards justice, Phindile Pone has been handed a series of severe sentences for his role in the brutal slaying of Pierre and Belinda de Kock.

The murders, which took place in June 2023 at the couple's farm in Aurora near Piketberg, have shocked the local farming community and prompted widespread outrage across the Western Cape.

The court heard that the couple, Pierre and Belinda de Kock, were brutally killed by three farmworkers, who were Lesotho nationals, on their farm in June 2023. According to the National Prosecuting Authority, the accused, Phindile Pone, is one of the three perpetrators in the matter and is the only one who has been arrested.

The deceased couple were reportedly tortured and forced to transfer R230 000 into the bank accounts of the accused and one of the other perpetrators.

After a thorough investigation, Pone was convicted of the double murder and sentenced to two life terms in prison. He also received a 30-year sentence for aggravated robbery, with an additional three months for violating South Africa's immigration laws, as the Western Cape Government has reported.