Limpopo farm Manager Mark Scott-Crossley has been sentenced to eight years direct imprisonment by the Naphuno Magistrate’s Court outside Tzaneen for attempted murder and two years for malicious damage to property.
The sentences will run concurrently without the option of a fine. In 2016, Scott-Crossley ran over farmworker, Silence Mabunda, with a vehicle in Hoedspruit. In handing down the sentence, the court highlighted that violent crimes in the area had spread like wildfire and the courts had the responsibility to deter them. Furthermore, the convict was said to not have shown any remorse for the crimes committed.
“The accused is sentenced to two years in prison without a fine, to put it clear, in respect of the charge of attempted murder the accused is sentenced to eight years imprisonment, in respect of the malicious damage to property the accused is sentenced to two years,” says Magistrate Carol Honwana.
Sitting in the courtroom during sentencing was Scott-Crossley’s victim, Silence Mabunda. The farmworker says while he is happy with the sentence, life will never be the same again.
“I’m happy the matter is over, today’s judgment is a relief to me as the victim, even though it will not change the fact that I’m injured, I will finally put the matter to rest,” says Mabunda.
The SACP has also weighed in on the sentencing.
“We are happy that they did sentence him, he is no longer outside and on the other hand, we are saying the sentence is too small. We are saying to everybody out there, here in South Africa we have to live together in harmony and no one must discriminate anyone,” says the SACP’s Thabo Ramalekane.
Scott-Crossley had previously been convicted as an accomplice after a farmworker was thrown into a lion’s den in 2004. He was found guilty of attempted murder and malicious damage to property on the 4th of October this year.