The Oudtshoorn Regional Court last week sentenced Francisco Erasmus to life imprisonment by for the premeditated murder of 60-year-old farmer Abraham Herandien. The court found that Erasmus meticulously planned the murder, driven by the motive of financial gain from life insurance policies, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said in a statement.
Erasmus first met Herandien and his wife in 2019. The couple lived on Bloupunt Farm, just outside Oudtshoorn. Over time, Erasmus cultivated a relationship with them, regularly bringing food to the elderly couple. He then took them to various banks in Oudtshoorn and George to open bank accounts and apply for life insurance policies. Erasmus named himself and Herandien’s wife as beneficiaries on some of these policies. Additionally, he kept possession of the couple’s bank cards and personal documents, further entrenching his control over their financial affairs.
On 21 March 2023, Erasmus rented a vehicle in George and drove to Bloupunt Farm to pick up Herandien. To conceal his identity, Erasmus disguised himself by wearing black clothing that covered his entire body, leaving only his eyes visible. Herandien’s wife testified that when Erasmus arrived, she could not recognise him because of the disguise.
Herandien informed her that the person was there to assist him with his South African Social Security Agency grant application. The two men then left the farm together.
Later that day, provincial traffic officers encountered the same vehicle parked on the side of Dysselsdorp Road. The vehicle’s number plates were obscured with dirt, making them illegible. When the officers stopped behind the vehicle, the driver – later identified as Erasmus – sped off. The officers activated their sirens and blue lights, prompting Erasmus to pull over.
Upon approaching the vehicle, the officers found Erasmus dressed in Muslim women’s clothing, with only his eyes visible. In the passenger seat, they discovered Herandien, who had been stabbed and was severely injured. Blood was visible on the passenger-side door and inside the vehicle. When asked who had stabbed him, Herandien pointed at Erasmus, who was standing on the driver’s side. Despite being critically wounded, Herandien was still conscious at the time.
The traffic officers instructed Erasmus to drive ahead of them towards Oudtshoorn, where they knew a roadblock was in place. At the roadblock, Erasmus was arrested, and Herandien was declared dead at the scene.
During the investigation, police searched the vehicle and found several items that indicated Erasmus had taken deliberate steps to hide his identity and carry out the murder. These items included a knife blade, a make-up kit, a bra, contact lens holders, syringes, and black fabric stored in a bag. The State argued that these findings demonstrated Erasmus’s intent to disguise himself and evade detection.
Following his arrest, Erasmus was charged with premeditated murder. During the trial, the State, represented by Advocate Michelle Weyers, presented evidence of Erasmus’s calculated plan to kill Herandien for financial gain. Weyers emphasised that Erasmus had exploited the trust of the elderly couple, manipulated their finances, and ultimately orchestrated the murder to benefit from the life insurance policies.
Extensive criminal record
The State further argued that Erasmus could not be rehabilitated, citing his extensive criminal history and the fact that he was on parole at the time of the murder. Erasmus was serving the remainder of a previous 32-year sentence, with five years left, when he committed the crime.
Erasmus’s criminal record disclosed a pattern of violent and unlawful behaviour. His previous convictions included:
- Theft (1992).
- Two counts of attempted murder (1999).
- Two counts of robbery (1999).
- Four counts of possession of an illegal firearm and illegal ammunition (1999).
- Malicious property damage (1999).
- Assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm (1999).
- Theft (1999).
- Escape or attempt to escape from custody (1999).
- Reckless and negligent driving (1999).
These offences were committed in the Eastern Cape. In one incident, Erasmus and three accomplices engaged in a shootout with police in Steytlerville. They fled the scene but were later arrested in Beaufort-West. After being taken to Correctional Services in Steytlerville, Erasmus and his co-accused assaulted the head of the prison, stole firearms from the facility’s safe, and escaped. They were subsequently rearrested.
Weyers urged the court not to deviate from the prescribed minimum sentence of life imprisonment, stating that the seriousness of the offence and Erasmus’s violent past justified the harshest penalty.
Victim impact statement
In her victim impact statement, Herandien’s widow shared the profound personal loss she had endured. She and her husband had been together for 42 years, having met when they were 17 and 19 years old, respectively.
The couple had no children, and following her husband’s death, she was left completely alone. The trauma of the murder forced her to relocate from the farm where they had lived together.
The State highlighted the violent nature of Herandien’s death and the lasting impact on his widow, urging the court to consider the need to protect the community by imposing the maximum sentence.
The court agreed with the State’s arguments, finding no substantial or compelling circumstances to warrant a lesser sentence. Erasmus was convicted of premeditated murder and sentenced to life imprisonment.
