Police issue strong warning Local sentenced to 20 years imprisonment

ABERDEEN — Aberdeen Police have issued a strong warning to the community of Aberdeen not to take any of the railway sleepers from the disused railway line near the Aberdeen/klipplaat road or from the road between Aberdeen Station and Graaffreinet.

The sleepers are the property of Transnet Freight Rail and if anyone is found in possession of the railway sleepers without the necessary documentation from Transnet Freight Rail they may be prosecuted.

This follows several unconfirmed tip-offs that people from Aberdeen have been going on outings to the area and taking home “souvenirs” in the form of railway sleepers, either to use themselves in their gardens or to sell.

Anyone with any information on these illegal activities is asked to contact the Aberdeen SAPS on 049 846 0015.

ABERDEEN — On September 8, David Wagenaar, a 39-year-old man from Kudu Street in Lotusville, Aberdeen, was sentenced in the High Court in Grahamstown to 20 years imprisonment for murder.

The incident happened on September 1, 2016, at about 23:50 in his house in Kudu Street. Wagenaar stabbed his cousin, 45-year-old Jafta Wagenaar, with a knife in the chest for no apparent reason.

David Wagenaar was lying on the bed when Jafta walked into the room. He stood up and told the Jafta that he was going to kill him. Jafta told David that he can do whatever he needs to do, and David then stabbed Jafta in the chest. Jafta Wagenaar passed away on the scene. The men lived together in the same house, and as far as was known, there had been no argument prior to the murder.

David Wagenaar had a previous conviction for murder, which he had committed on April 11, 2009, and for this, he was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment in July 2011. He was released on parole on July 14, 2016, which would run until September 2021.

Soon after he was released on parole, Wagenaar told a witness that he was going to kill his cousin because he had given information to the police about a previous crime that he had committed. This threat was never reported to the police.

The solid investigation by the Commander of Aberdeen Detective Service, Detective Warrant Officer Willie Van Zyl, led to the successful conviction and sentence in this case.