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| 3 - 10 February 2015 | thesouthafrican.com
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Son questioned over triple family axe murder in Stellenbosch | 20-year-old Henri van Breda has been questioned by police over the murder of his parents Martin and Teresa and his brother Rudi. His sister Marli is recovering in hospital By Katy Scott Millionaire international businessman Martin van Breda, his wife Teresa, and Rudi (their 22-year-old son) were found dead in their upmarket home on the De Zalze Golf Estate in Stellenbosch on 27 January. 16-year-old daughter, Marli, suffered extensive head injuries and 20-year-old son, Henri, who appeared to have cuts and bruises, was taken into police custody for questioning. There were no signs of a security breach at the estate. A bloodied axe
was found in the house, which has since been sent for forensic testing. Spokesman for emergency medical services, Robert Daniels, told the Cape Times that the victims had clearly been killed with an axe. “What I can say is they were not shot, the patients were axed. The daughter was rushed to hospital with severe head trauma and a severed jugular.” Vergelegen MediClinic in Somerset West confirmed that Marli underwent surgery on 27 January. “She is critical, but stable. At the moment no one is allowed
to see her, not even close family members,” said spokesperson Carla Hanekom. When found, Henri reportedly had blood spattered on him and was allegedly seen sitting outside the house talking on his mobile phone at the time of the incident, reported iAfrica.com. According to Pretoria lawyer and family spokesman Don Bosman, Henri has been taken into the care of an uncle after being questioned by the police. Head of the homeowners’ association at the estate, Eben Potenter, told media
that Henri was being treated as a witness at this stage. Martin van Breda was the founder of Netstar and Woodhill College in Pretoria. After selling the college to the Curro group of private schools for R185 million, he moved to Perth, Australia. The family then moved to Queensland’s Sunshine Coast and in 2010 Martin opened a franchise of luxury real estate company Engel & Völkers, reported The Guardian. After six years in Australia, the family moved back to South Africa in June 2014.
De Kock granted parole after 20 years behind bars in the interest of nation-building | Apartheid assassin Eugene de Kock has been granted parole while Chris Hani’s assassin, Clive Derby-Lewis’ medical parole has been denied By Katy Scott
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Former Vlakplaas (apartheid death squad) commander, Eugene de Kock has been released “in the interest of nation-building”. De Kock, now 66, was sentenced in 1996 to two life terms in prison and a further 212 years for the crimes he committed during the apartheid era in South Africa. Minister Michael Masutha made the announcement on 30 January in Pretoria. De Kock was eligible to apply for parole in 2014 as he had spent 20 years behind bars, but was denied in July 2014 as Masutha needed to consult the families of de Kock’s victims before making a decision. De Kock confessed to more than 100 acts of murder, fraud and torture and took full responsibility for the activities of the Vlakplaas police unit at the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) in 1994. The police’s notorious C10 counterinsurgence unity was responsible for surpressing the anti-apartheid movement While he was granted amnesty for most offences, the TRC could only grant amnesty to human rights violators whose crimes were politically motived and who made a full confession. Amnesty was denied for a number of De Kock’s crimes as the political motivation was not fully proven. Minister Masutha granted parole as he was now satisfied that De Kock’s victims had been consulted properly and that De Kock had taken part in rehabilitation programmes. “I’ve considered the matter and noted positive reports from professionals. I’ve noted his progress. Eugene de Kock has been
granted parole,” he said. De Kock’s victims speak out about parole Sandra Mama, widow of Glenack Mama, a man who was killed by De Kock in 1992, said that de Kock’s release will aid the reconciliation process. She told the BBC: “I think it will actually close a chapter in our history because we’ve come a long way and I think his release will just once again help with the reconciliation process because there’s still a lot of things that we need to do as a country.” Jane Quinn, who’s sister was killed by De Kock’s hit squad, said that he shouldn’t have been released. “I don’t think we should be undoing the process of punishment for apartheid crimes before we have completed actually doing them.” The families of De Kock’s other victims said they had forgiven him and that he should now be a free man, reported Eyewitness News. Clive Derby-Lewis denied parole Minister Masutha then discussed the medical parole application of Clive Derby-Lewis who is serving a life sentence for the murder of SACP leader Chris Hani in 1993. Derby-Lewis, who is now 78, has been diagnosed with Lung Cancer and appealed for release on medical grounds. During his trial, Derby-Lewis justified the killing on religious grounds, explaining that, according to him, in his faith communism was considered “the vehicle of the Antichrist”. Hani’s murder prompted riots and unsettled the transitions to democracy. Nelson Mandela reportedly called Hani’s murder “a deed so foul that our whole
| Eugene de Kock at the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) in 1998. Photo by WALTER DHLADHLA/AFP/Getty Images
nation now teeters on the brink of disaster”. Derby-Lewis was initially sentenced to death, but when South Africa went on to abolish capital punishment in 1995, the sentence was commuted. Masutha said the following of Derby-Lewis’ parole application: “I have considered the relevant laws and prescripts that regulate medical parole. There is nothing to suggest that Derby-Lewis’s condition is such that he is rendered incapacitated. Clive Derby-Lewis has been denied parole.” He further said that there was uncertainty over the authenticity of Derby-Lewis’ medical records as he
used a pseudonym when admitted to hospital which was incidentally the name of another patient at the hospital. The case of Ferdi Barnard Former apartheid-era CCB agent Barnard, found guilty of the murder of anti-apartheid activist David Webster and attempted murder of Dullah Omar, was sentenced to two life terms and an additional 63 years behind bars. Masutha said that he needed more information before he could make a decision on Barnard. “An agreement has been reached with the parties and the dates will be extended. No decision has been made at this stage.”