The State wants the Western Cape high court to hand down at least nine life sentences to a 57-year-old killer convicted of 17 counts of rape and assault of minors, including the murder of eight-year-old Tazne van Wyk. 

Acting Judge Alan Maher will mete out sentencing of Moehydien Pangaker on Valentine’s Day. 

Read in Daily Maverick: “Tazne van Wyk murder – activists demand system change after twice-paroled killer convicted” 

On Wednesday 18 January, the Western Cape high court heard sentencing mitigation. State prosecutor senior advocate Lenro Badenhorst, who is calling for Pangaker to be sentenced harshly, described him as a monster who cannot be tolerated in a civilised community.

An image of Tazne van Wyk, who was murdered in 2020. (Photo: Jaco Marais)

“It is submitted that the accused is a repeat offender who indiscriminately targets young girls for sexual pleasure, and thus his moral blameworthiness is high.

“The accused took away the life of an eight-year-old child who had her whole life in front of her and left her family devastated,” said Badenhorst.

The main charge against the child killer relates to the rape and murder of van Wyk. The Grade 3 pupil from Eurocon Primary School went missing on 7 February 2020.

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Her body was found on 19 February 2020 in a storm water drain along the N1 highway near Worcester, about 95km from her Ravensmead home.

She was last seen alive alongside Pangaker in CCTV footage from close to Bergsig Motors on 7 February. It shows them at 11.15pm walking away from the dealership towards the N1 until they vanish into the darkness.

Following his arrest in Cradock, Pangaker was relaxed and at some point, he was heard laughing aloud. This demeanour lends credence to the State’s contention that he exhibited no remorse or regret for his heinous actions.

Badenhorst also painted a bleak picture of the killer’s past during mitigation. On 7 April 2008, he was sentenced to 10 years in prison for kidnapping, child molestation, and culpable homicide, according to the court. He was granted parole on 3 April 2013 and went missing on 18 November 2013. On August 12, 2015, he was arrested again.

But he was paroled a second time, from 17 October 2016 to 18 May 2019, before disappearing on 6 February 2019. He was not seen by Correctional Services again until a year later, on February 19, 2020, when he murdered van Wyk. However, his notoriety grew after his arrest for the kidnapping, rape and murder of van Wyk, as well as the desecration of her body.

Badenhorst also told the court that there is no realistic chance of rehabilitation for Pangaker.

“He is a danger to society and a long-term sentence would be an appropriate punishment for the offences. The chances of re-offend are very high,” he said.

The prosecution also emphasised that there were no substantial and compelling circumstances obliging the court to deviate from the prescribed minimum sentences and asked the court to impose imprisonment in all charges where the accused was convicted.

The child killer will be sentenced on Valentine’s Day, 14 February. DM