The two accused of murdering Marang House founder Dr Pieter Ernst on 29 July 2005 have finally been convicted and sentenced, nearly four years after the senseless murder took place. Both accused have been found guilty and were sentenced to 22 years imprisonment today by the Johannesburg High Court on counts of murder, armed robbery and the possession of a firearm.
Dr Ernst was a much respected medical doctor and founder of Marang House. The 48-year-old doctor was gunned-down on a Friday afternoon just outside of his farm near Magaliesburg, when he was on his way to pay his workers. His murder caused a wave of shock and anger in the community he served.
Pieter Ernst Jr: “I am very thankful for the continued interest in the trial, but am nonetheless glad that it’s over. I want to commend the Johannesburg High Court and state advocate for their work as it was not an easy trial.”
In 1998 Dr Ernst established the non-profit organisation ‘Marang House’. After immigrating from the Netherlands Dr Ernst worked for several years in South Africa’s public hospitals. There he realized that many seriously ill children were literally living in hospitals, which was not the ideal environment for their recovery. He purchased the property behind his surgery to provide a home to these children. The organisation has since cared for more than seventy children suffering from diseases ranging from chronic renal failure to diabetes.
