Cape Town - A father accused of murdering two of his children has been sentenced to life in prison.
Alvin van der Berg, 43, entered into an agreement with the State at the Cape High Court on Thursday, pleading guilty to killing his 12-year-old daughter, Alvene.
The former South African National Defence Force soldier said he “deserved” life imprisonment, after choking his daughter to death in a chokehold.
He was also accused of raping her, but asked the court to withdraw this charge in his plea agreement.
Van der Berg said he “didn’t know why” he murdered the girl, and that he didn’t deserve to be part of normal society ever again.
He then broke down in tears as Judge President John Hlophe threw the book at him.
The accused, who was a rifleman in the army and fought in other African countries during the 1990s, faced 12 charges in all, including the murder of his five-year-old son Alveno Blignaut.
However, after a deal with the State, he will only be jailed for the murder of Alvene.
The girl was raped, assaulted with bricks and choked to death near their house in Jim se Bos, Philippi, in April 2014.
The family searched for her, and it was Van der Berg who found her.
In February 2012, Alveno was found battered and lying in a stagnant pool on a farm not far from their home.
Van Der Berg claimed the boy vanished after they had played a racing game.
Police and community members launched a massive search for the boy, but in another strange coincidence, it was Van der Berg again who found his son’s body.
Van der Berg arrived in court on Thursday looking beaten and broken.
His shackles rattled as he sobbed loudly waiting to hear his fate.
Judge Hlophe asked him: “Perhaps you can tell us why you killed your daughter? Why did you do this, this is gruesome, what was going through your mind?
Van der Berg answered: “I just got up and I did it, no one forced me.”
When Judge Hlophe probed for a more details, he said: “Nothing went through my mind, I didn’t have a reason; I am prepared and ready for the sentence.”
Judge Hlophe then handed down his sentence and said: “I find you guilty of premeditated murder; you are sentenced to life inside prison.
“This procedure is not to be appealed.”
In court documents, Van Der Berg gives a detailed description of Alvene’s final moments.
On April 21, at 11pm, while his wife (Magdalene Blignaut) was asleep, he typed two messages on her cellphone which he would later use saying Alvene had typed the messages. He left the messages in the draft box of the cellphone.
A few hours later, at 2am, he woke up Alvene, and told her to go with him.
He made the child believe that they were on their way to his unnamed mistress.
“As they walked to the sand mine behind Jim se Bos, the accused told his daughter someone was coming.
“When (she) turned around, he took his arm and strangled her until she fell to the ground and out of his arms.”
Later Alvin made sure his daughter was dead: “The accused wanted to make sure his child was dead and he dragged her body along the road.
“He picked up rocks and placed it on her stomach. He picked up two more rocks and let it fall onto her head.
“When he saw she was no longer moving, he took her jacket and began to walk.
“He threw the jacket a distance from the body.
“He walked home and saw that his shirt, jacket and shoes were full of blood. He cleaned his jacket and shoes and put on another pair of pants.”
Van der Berg then got into bed next to his wife and claimed the front door was open, making their home cold inside.
“When Magdalene got up to see, she noted the deceased was not in her bed and asked Avlin who said he didn’t know.”
Later they and other residents began to search for the child.
Hours later Van der Berg and his family discovered the battered body near the sand mines.
Further in the documents, Van der Berg apologised for the pain and grief has put on his family.
Daily Voice