Submit a Report	HomeReportsSubmit a ReportGet AlertsContact Us	Verified	Kosie van der Merwe, 20, found not guilty of shooting dead his father Koos sr, Nov 2009, Grootfontein, Stilbaai
13:06 May 27 2012 Stilbaai, South Africa
2012-05-26 Magistrate dismissed the murder-charge against him, finding that 'two witnesses had been instructed to lie'.
Who did kill Mr Van der Merwe senior? The story does not make it clear. Kosie was charged with murdering his father, but he was present.
He was ordered to 'remain quiet and take the blame himself or things would not go well with you'.
He kept silent for two years but then admitted to investigating police that he hadn't shot his dad - but had been present when his father was shot dead while watching TV.
"I woke up that night from the shot, looked down the hall and shouted: 'what the f did you do." Then I took the gun away and they rubbed some stuff over my hands. They told me I had to take the blame and I did, I'm kinda stupid.'
So the SAPS didn't investigate any further: they'd solved the case. He said his father was a 'hard man who cursed loudly all day'. He was with his father in the stables and on the farm since he was in Grade four, and his dad said 'fk school' and he had to stop going to school.
He regretted that he didn't finish his schooling. His sister never went to school at all. The children were with their father in the stables most of the time and Kosie got to know his dad well. "My granddad made a little box for my sister so that she could sleep in the stables for us when she was still very small'.
"I started helping with the milking from about age of five, six: granddad made me a little box so that I could reach the teats to milk.
"Dad's loud cursing scared the cows and they wouldn't drop their milk when he was screaming so loud. Nowadays he farms alone. He also loves his mechanical work on the farm, he said. "I miss my mom and it hurts that she never phones.
She moved to Bloemfontein last year and wasn't at the magistrate's verdict. She was here at Christmas but she doesn't want to have anything to do with us.'
But things have also changed for the better since the not-guilty verdict, for which he had to wait nearly 3 years. "People shake my hands now, they used to look away when they saw me. Now I talk to a lot of people whereas I never did so before. I'm turning 21 soon and am inviting some people over to celebrate. And all I want to do now is to farm.'
Hy is bly die swaard van ’n moordsaak hang nie meer oor sy kop nie, sê Kosie by ’n ou ploeg op hul gesinsplaas, Grootfontein, by Stilbaai.| Foto: Jaco Marais
Rapport: Marlene Malan Die hofbankie was klein en nou en hard.Dis wat Kosie van Zyl (20) van Stilbaai die helderste onthou van die beskuldigdebank waarin hy byna drie jaar gestaan het.
“Vir iets wat ek nie gedoen het nie ... Ek was gatvol vir daai bankie.”
Kosie vee sy ghrieshande oor sy voorkop. Hy het pas ’n trekker­enjin reggemaak.
“Mechanics is my ding. Maar daar’s nog die diere ... Ek wil die 100 skaap so 1 000 maak, die 72 bonsmaras tot so 300 opstoot. Soos my oupa,” vertel hy Woensdag op hul familieplaas, Grootfontein, net buite die dorp – die plek waar sy pa, Koos (40), in November 2009 doodgeskiet is terwyl hy voor die TV gesit en slaap het.
Einde verlede maand is Kosie vrygespreek op aanklag van moord.
Van net ná sy pa se dood het hy die skuld op hom geneem.
Die polisie het die saak nie verder ondersoek nie. Die moord is binne ure “opgelos”.
“Ek het gedink as ek sê dis ek is alles gou verby.”
Die werklikheid het algaande tot hom deurgedring: Dat “moord” agter jou naam nooit uitgewis kan word nie.
“Verlede jaar het ek erken ek het gejok. Dit was nie ek nie. Ek onthou ek het daai nag wakker geword van die skoot, in die gang afgekyk en geskree: ‘Wat de f** het jy gedoen!’ Toe die geweer afgevat.
“Daar is aan my gesê ek sal niks oorkom as ek sê dis ek nie. Ek het dit maar gedoen. Ek was mos dom ...”
Hy verstaan nie mooi wat alles met hom gebeur het nie, “toe hulle goed aan my hande gesmeer het. Ek was heelnag in die tronk. Die saak het aangegaan en aangegaan.”
Maar toe die landdros einde verlede maand sê Kosie word vrygespreek omdat dit duidelik is twee getuies is voorgesê om te lieg, “was dit soos ’n las van my skouers af”.
Hy erken hy het ’n harde lewe onder sy pa gehad.
“Ek was in gr. 4 toe Pa eendag gesê het: ‘F** die skool!’ Aan die een kant was ek bly, maar ek moes 03:00 saam met hom opstaan om te melk.
“Ek het van kleins af gehelp melk. Ek was seker so vyf, ses toe Oupa vir my ’n houtkassie gemaak het sodat ek die spene kon bykom.
“Hy het vir my sussie, Rita, ook ’n houtkassie aanmekaargeslaan sodat sy agter in die stal kon lê. Sy was nog ’n baba.”
Teen sy pa koester hy nie ’n wrok nie, sê Kosie.
“Hy was ’n bedonnerde mens. Hy het my baie gevloek en geskel. En ek’s spyt ek het nooit skool klaargemaak nie. My suster het glad nie skoolgegaan nie.
“Maar ek was elke dag, vandat ek so nege was, by hom. Ek het gedink dit werk maar so – dat hy so raas. Die koeie wou nie sak wanneer hy hulle so geskel en geslaan het nie. Dit het my hard gemaak. Ek was lief vir my pa.”
Hy boer deesdae alleen.“Een van die dae word ek 21. Ek gaan ’n paar mense oornooi.”
Dit maak hom seer dat sy ma, Vicki, hom nooit bel nie.Sy is verlede jaar Bloemfontein toe en was nie by die uitspraak nie.
“Ek verlang na haar. Sy antwoord nie as ons bel nie. Sy was Kersfees hier. Maar wat, sy wil niks met ons te doen hê nie.”
Hy wroeg egter nie, sê Kosie. “Alles het verander. Eers het mense weggekyk as hulle my sien. Nou skud hulle my hand. Voorheen het ek nooit met mense gepraat nie. Nou steek ek my hand eerste uit en stel my voor.” http://www.rapport.co.za/Suid-Afrika/Nuus/Kosie-wil-nou-net-boer-20120526	Credibility:
Kosie van der Merwe, 20, found not guilty of shooting dead his father Koos sr, Nov 2009, Grootfontein, Stilbaai
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