Jimmy Maketta

Background

Jimmy Maketta was born in 1964 or 1965. He was a South African rapist and serial killer. A state psychologist described him as a psychopath. Maketta was described as mild-mannered, soft spoken and pleasant-looking, but as lacking remorse.

Maketta was said to have had a typical childhood that included fighting with others, setting things alight, running away from home, and incidents of bestiality. Sollie Marthinus, Maketta's attorney, said Maketta had come from a dysfunctional family in Grabouw, had lived in bushes after completing Grade 6, and that he was one of 15 children who left home. Marthinus said Maketta started stealing and later serious crimes started. Marthinus said Maketta left for Cape Town where he stayed with his sister in Mitchells Plain, and that he could not get a permanent job but tried to make something of his life.

Relatives of victims crammed into the courtroom during the proceedings.

The offence

Maketta watched farm labourers from a hill on Friday evenings near the township of Philippi, Cape Town, and selected drunken victims, mostly at night, during a nine-month reign of terror between April and December 2005.

Captain Jonathon Morris, the detective who finally arrested Maketta, told the court: "The accused says most of his rape victims were drunk when he attacked them at night, and they did not even know they had been raped."

Maketta pleaded guilty before Judge Abie Motala and two assessors to 47 charges: 19 of rape, 16 of murder, six housebreakings, three assaults, one kidnapping, one theft, and one attempted murder.

Investigating officer Jonathan Morris said residents of Philippi, an area Maketta targeted between April and December 2005, had been terrified when he was on the loose. Morris said Maketta had got away from police by running away and taking a taxi to Grassy Park or Mitchells Plain.

Investigation

Prosecutor Susan Galloway handed up a batch of documents comprising letters that Maketta had written, including one to his wife Janetta and two to Morris in which he gave details of the rapes and slayings.

Jonathan Morris said he took over the investigation in December 2005 after the initial probe resulted in the arrest of the wrong person. Morris said he had to question all the witnesses a second time and re-visit the various crime scenes. Morris said that at one of the crime scenes he found a cellphone still switched on that Maketta had left behind. Morris said there were eight calls to the same number, and when he dialled the number it turned out to be Maketta's son in Grabouw. Morris said he went to Grabouw, where the son gave him Maketta's address in Mitchells Plain. Morris said Maketta no longer lived there, but Morris tracked him down to a house in Constantia where Maketta was doing a paint job.

Morris said he arrested Maketta and that Maketta then took him to the Steurhof railway station, where Maketta lived in the bush. Morris said he confiscated Maketta's clothing and food found in the bush, and that Morris then took him to his office in Bellville South for questioning.

Morris said Maketta was hesitant during the questioning and denied everything until Morris confronted him with the cellphone Morris had found and letters that Maketta had written, which Morris had in his possession. Only then did Maketta admit the murders and rapes, and informed Morris about murders that Morris at that stage did not know about.

Morris said he locked Maketta in a cell and the next day took him for his first court appearance.

Morris said Maketta was linked to the murders and rapes by DNA tests, cellphone data, trips that Maketta had made with the police to point out murder scenes where bodies were found, and handwriting samples.

On two occasions, Morris said, Maketta had telephoned police radio control to inform police where bodies could be found.

Morris said Maketta had written letters to the Son and the Voice newspapers to say he was responsible for murders. Morris said: "He also wrote to me, to thank me for the way I had treated him. In this letter he says no matter what happens to him, he always wants to stay in touch with me." Morris said: "He says he's given his heart to Jesus, and has turned a new leaf."

Morris also said that after a murder in Claremont, Maketta had called 10111 twice to tell police where his victim's body was and had drawn a map for them with instructions on how to find it. Morris said: "(After his arrest) he also wrote me a letter to say thank you for the manner he was handled." Morris said Maketta had written a map directing police to Mitchells Plain where Griet Koelas body was found.

Morris said Maketta was responsible for three murders based on what Morris said he found.

Arrest

Morris said Maketta's capture brought to an end his reign of terror among workers in the Philippi farming community on the Cape Flats between April and December 2005.

Morris said police first arrested the wrong person, and that after taking over the investigation in December 2005 he had to question witnesses again and revisit the crime scenes. Morris said the arrest in Constantia followed a reign of terror in the Philippi farmlands.

Trial

Maketta pleaded guilty before Judge Abie Motala and two assessors to the 47 charges.

Justice Essa Moosa asked what Maketta would plead. Maketta looked confused and answered moments before he was convicted: "To make this easier on me I will take it all on me and plead guilty,".

A psychiatrist at Valkenberg Hospital testified that Maketta had been categorised as a serial killer because he killed so many people.

Sean Kaliski, a psychiatrist at Valkenberg Hospital, testified and said:

"Maketta had been categorised as a serial killer because he's just killed so many people. A serial killer is someone who kills more than two or three victims (followed by) a cooling-off period. During that time he reflects in and enjoys moments of the murder. " "There is zero possibility of him being rehabilitated. It is hopeless. If a person has killed so many victims it's impossible to say he's not dangerous. " "He's a psychopath with a typical childhood. He often fought with others, set things alight, ran away from home and was involved in incidents of bestiality," "He is mild-mannered, soft spoken and pleasant-looking but he lacks remorse. When I asked what he felt about all this he just shrugged his shoulders," he said.

Sollie Marthinus said his client had come from a dysfunctional family in Grabouw and that he had lived in bushes after completing Grade 6. Marthinus said Maketta had been one of 15 children and had left home, started stealing, and later serious crimes started.

During the proceedings, the state withdrew seven charges before he was asked to plead, including those of indecent assault and attempted murder.

Relatives of victims gathered and chanted outside the court building: "We want Jimmy. He raped and killed our people. We want his blood."

Penata Petersen, 16, cried and said Maketta had murdered her mother two years ago.

A quote attributed to Maketta stated: "rapist watching from a distance".

Sentencing

Maketta was convicted on 47 charges and was to be sentenced at noon on Thursday.

On 3 May 2007, he was sentenced to life in prison.

A psychiatrist testified that Maketta was "a dangerous psychopath lacking remorse" and said he should go to prison "for ever" because he could not be rehabilitated and would continue to murder.

Appeals

No appeal information was provided.

Outcome

Maketta pleaded guilty and was convicted on 47 charges, including 16 counts of murder and 19 counts of rape.

Other details

Individuals named

Victims mentioned included:

• Nolusindiso Sono, a farmworker found raped and murdered on Weltevrede Farm, Weltevrede Road, Philippi.
• Mina Javas, a farmworker found raped and murdered on Highlands Farm, Weltevrede Road, Philippi; her body was thrown into an irrigation dam.
• Richard Cornelius, a farmworker murdered on the Bernie Oelof Farm in Punt Road, Philippi.
• Hilton Augustead, murdered on a farm bordering Philippi and Westridge.
• An unidentified man, found murdered on the Bernie Oelof Farm in Punt Road, Philippi.
• Petrus Marks, murdered on Onverwacht Farm, Punt Road in Philippi; his body was found in an irrigation dam.
• Magriet Koela, a farmworker whose naked body was found in the bush on the Brock Sandmine Farm, Old Weltevrede Road in Philippi.
• Jennifer Petersen, a farmworker whose body was found in an irrigation dam on the Geduld Farm, off Weltevrede Road, Philippi.
• Griet Koelas, whose body was found in Mitchells Plain.

Penata Petersen, 16, was named as crying about her mother being murdered two years earlier.

Other named individuals included:

• Judge Abie Motala.
• Sean Kaliski (psychiatrist at Valkenberg Hospital).
• Sollie Marthinus (Maketta's attorney).
• Jonathan Morris (investigating officer).
• Captain Jonathon Morris (detective who finally arrested Maketta).
• Eleanor Mocke (senior state prosecutor).
• Cheryl Horne (Legal Aid Board attorney).
• John Vrieslaar.
• Justice Essa Moosa.
• Susan Galloway (prosecutor).
• Abie Motala (judge already named).
• Janetta (Maketta's wife; referenced in letters).

Charge list referenced in proceedings

Maketta faced the 47 charges pleaded to as:

• 19 of rape
• 16 of murder
• six housebreakings
• three assaults
• one kidnapping
• one theft
• one attempted murder

A Wynberg magistrate's court appearance referenced DNA results due this week and additional procedural details. That hearing referenced Maketta appearing again in connection with 13 charges of murder, three of attempted murder, 22 of rape, one of robbery with aggravating circumstances, five of housebreaking, four of assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm and two of kidnapping, with Senior state prosecutor Eleanor Mocke telling the court the prosecution expected DNA results later that week.

Places

Places mentioned included:

• Philippi (township and farming community), Cape Town
• Cape Flats
• Cape High Court
• Valkenberg Hospital
• Grabouw
• Mitchells Plain
• Constantia
• Steurhof railway station
• Bellville South
• Claremont
• Grassy Park
• Wynberg, Cape Town
• Wynberg magistrate's court
• Cape Town
• Cape High Court (also referenced for the psychiatrist testimony)
• Weltevrede Farm, Weltevrede Road, Philippi
• Highlands Farm, Weltevrede Road, Philippi
• Bernie Oelof Farm, Punt Road, Philippi
• Westridge (farm bordering Philippi)
• Onverwacht Farm, Punt Road, Philippi
• Brock Sandmine Farm, Old Weltevrede Road, Philippi
• Geduld Farm, off Weltevrede Road, Philippi
• Grassy Park
• Mitchells Plain
• Steurhof railway station
• Constantia

Dated references included

The record included dated references to events and to sentencing, including 3 May 2007, and dated references to appearances and earlier reporting (including 2 February 2006 and 2 May 2007), along with the period of attacks between April and December 2005.