Gardener admits killing couple with pruning shears

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Pretoria - The gardener of an elderly Moot couple admitted that he murdered them with pruning shears following a dispute over his Christmas bonus. Stemmer January Mahlangu, 47, of Hammanskraal, on Monday said he did not plan on killing Cornelius and Gertruida Visser. He was, however, so upset that the man refused to pay him a Christmas bonus, that he acted on the spur of the moment. Mahlangu said he was livid when Visser said he had no money because former President Jacob Zuma “took all our money to build dams with, which did not function.” The couple were attacked on December 27, 2016, at their home. Cornelius died on the scene, while his wife later died in the Eugene Marais Hospital following complications. Mahlangu, who mostly sat with his head bowed in the dock at the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, said in his explanation of plea that he realised that he could be sent to jail for life.

He worked once a week for four years in the garden of the Vissers, where he received R150 a day.

He stated that he was in a cheerful mood when he arrived for work, two days after Christmas. The man opened the gate for him and asked him whether he had a good Christmas.

After exchanging pleasantries, he put on his garden gear and took out the trash. While he was drinking his tea, Visser gave him garden shears and told him his first task of the day was to prune the tree in the front garden.

“While he was standing there I told him I was happy that they were at home this December, as they normally went away. I then asked him whether I was not getting my December bonus.”

Mahlangu said the man told him he did not have money, but that he would ask his wife whether she had any money.

“When he came back he said his wife also did not have money. He said I must not forget that they had a lot of things to pay for, such as electricity and municipal services.”

According to Mahlangu Mr Visser then made the comment about Zuma. “I asked him why he did not simply say his wife did not have money and that he was now talking all kinds of nonsense. I said It had nothing to do with Zuma.”

An argument ensued and Mahlangu said he took his garden gear off. Visser then asked him who was going to do the work in the garden that day.

“He told me to f… off. He picked-up the shears and I thought that we were now going to fight. I gave him a push and he fell backwards, with his head against the cement floor. He stood on his hands and knees and shouted “love, love” at his wife.”

“When he stood up I took the shears and I stabbed hi in the neck.”

Mahlangu said he never intended to also stab Visser's wife with the shears, but she tried to call the police and she refused to hand her phone over to him.

He was meanwhile convicted of murder by Judge Bert Bam.