IN THE HIGH COURT OF SOUTH AFRICA 
(WESTERN CAPE HIGH COURT, CAPE TOWN)

Reportable Case No.: A484/09
In the matter between:

and

JUDGMENT DELIVERED ON 4 DECEMBER 2009 BREITENBACH AJ:
1.	The appellant, Mr Vern de Koker, was arraigned in the George Regional Court on three charges. The presiding officer was Mr M P Fourie. The prosecutor was Adv J C Gerber SC. The appellant was represented by Mr A Marx of the Legal Aid Board.
2.	All of the offences with which the appellant was charged were committed on 11 July 2008 in George and its environs.

9.	The charge sheet reflects that the appellant was arrested on the same day as the offences were committed, i.e. 11 July 2008.

12.	The rest of s 105A of the CPA sets out, in some detail, the steps the prosecutor must normally take before entering into a plea and sentence agreement (which must be in writing), the contents of the agreement and the steps to be taken by the court before it may convict and sentence an accused in terms of a plea and sentence agreement.
13.	The prescribed contents of the agreement include the following: It must be signed by the prosecutor, the accused and his or her legal representative. It must state that the accused, before entering into the agreement, was informed that he or she has the right to be presumed innocent until proved guilty beyond reasonable doubt, to remain silent and not to testify during the proceedings and not to be compelled to give self-incriminating evidence. It must also state fully the terms of the agreement, the substantial facts of the matter, all other facts relevant to the agreement and any admissions made by the accused.
14.	The plea and sentence agreement in the present case complies with all of these requirements.

Hulle klim toe uit die bakkie en stap na sitplekke by die aftrekplek. Hulle het toe seksuele gemeenskap gehad deurdat hy sy penis in haar vagina ingedruk het. Toe hy klaar was, het hy weer sy broek opgetrek. Hy het besef dat sy nie vrywillig tot seksuele gemeenskap ingestem het nie omdat sy hom gevrees het aangeisen hy haar met 'n mes gedreig het. Hy het ook besef dat hierdie optrede neerkom op verkragting. Hy het toe besef dat hy toe in die moeilikheid was en het nie geweet wat om regig te maak nie. Hy vat toe sy mes en steek die oorledene verskeie kere in die nek gedeelte tot sy op die grond geval het. Hy wou haar doodsteek en het haar verskeie kere in die nekgedeelte gesteek. Hy het toe nader gegaan en gesien sy is dood. Hy het toe na die bakkie gehardloop en weggery."

"Hy erken verder dat die oorledene deur 'n pataloog, ene Dr. M Hurst, op die 14de Julie 2008 gedurende 'n lykskouing ondersoek is en dat gemelde praktisyn sekere aantekeninge tesame met drie fotos soos vervat in die lykskouings verslag geneem het, dat die lykskouings verslag korrek is en dat die oorledene dood is as gevolg van steekwonde soos deur hom toegedien welke die oorledene se regter long, "jugular vein", "subclavian artery", "trachea" en "oesophagus" deurdringhet.
Hy is verder bereid om te erken dat die beserings soos aangedui op die lykskouings verslag die enigste beserings is wat tydens die betrokke voorval opgedoen is.
Hy is tevrede dat die oorledene geen verdere beserings opgedoen het vandat sy vervoer is vanaf die misdaadstoneel tot met die lykskouing nie."

18.	The plea and sentence agreement contains the following further information relevant to the sentences upon which the state and the appellant had agreed:

"ERNS VAN DIE MISDAAD, ENSOVOORTS
Die erns van die misdaad, die belange van die gemeenskap en die persoonlike omstandighede van die beskuldigde is behoorlik oorweeg en in ag geneem deur beide partye.
VERSWARENDE OMSTANDIGHEDE Die verswarende omstandighede is soos volg:

PERSOONLIKE OMSTANDIGHEDE VAN DIE BESKULDIGDE EN STRAFVERSAGTENDE FAKTORE

Die Partye is dit eens dat hier geen wesenlike en dwingende omstandighede in terme van Artikel 51(3)(a) van Wet 105 van 1997 is me."

19.	Section 105A of the CPA requires the court to take certain steps before it may convict and sentence an accused in terms of a plea and sentence agreement which include the following:
19.1. The court must require the accused to confirm that such an agreement has been entered into. In the present case this was done (record p. 9 lines 18 to 21).
19.2 The court shall require the accused to plead to the charge and order that the contents of the agreement be disclosed in court. As stated, in the present case the accused pleaded guilty to all of the charges (record p. line 10 to p. 11 line 4). The regional magistrate then required the prosecutor to read the agreement into the record, which he did (record p. line 17 to p. 21 line 24).

21.	The appeal is now before this court under paragraph (ii) of the proviso to s 309(1)(a) of the CPA, which provides if that a person is convicted of any offence and sentenced to imprisonment for life by a regional court under s 51(1) of Act 105 of 1997, he or she may note an appeal against such conviction and sentence to the High Court having jurisdiction without having to apply for leave in terms of section 309B of the CPA.
22.	The appellant's notice of appeal makes it clear that the appeal is confined to the sentences imposed by the regional magistrate only. The grounds of appeal are stated as follows:

2. Die agbare hof gefouteer het deur die persoonlike omstandighede van die appellant te onder beklemtoon.
3. Die agbare hof gefouteer het deur die belange van die gemeenskap oor te beklemtoon.
4. Die agbare hof gefouteer het deur die strafverswarende faktore oor te beklemtoon en die strafversagtende faktore te onder beklemtoon."

7. As appears from the discussion earlier, the regional magistrate followed the procedure prescribed by s 105A of the CPA and, in particular, before sentencing the accused he asked the defence whether they had anything to add to what was stated in the agreement regarding the sentences or the appellant's personal circumstances (to which the answer was no). It will further be recalled that when the proceedings commenced the regional magistrate explained to the appellant the implications of the minimum sentence provisions of Act 105 of 1997, and the agreement itself recorded that the parties were agreed that in the appellant's case there were no substantial and compelling circumstances which justified imposing a lesser sentence than the prescribed minima. There can be no doubt that the regional magistrate had due regard to the provisions of that Act. The sentences he imposed were the minima prescribed by Parliament for offences of this kind where no such substantial and compelling circumstances are found to exist.

27.	In the result, and for the reasons set out in this judgment, the sentences imposed by the regional magistrate should stand.

BREITENBACH, AJ

I agree that the appeal be dismissed, and it is so ordered:

YEKISO, J

For the appellant		Adv. J I: Losch
				Cape Bar

For the state:			Adv. N. Ajam
				Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions. Western Cape