Investigating officer in Vanessa murder argues for Evans to be denied bail
He said murder accused Rob Evans could also face more criminal charges as the investigation unfolded.
Warrant Officer Xolile Kato was testifying in the packed Humansdorp Regional Court where Evans is applying for bail.
Proceedings got off to a late start due to a power outage.
And as the wait dragged on, Evans' two older daughters sat quietly in the public gallery, occasionally blowing kisses to their father in the nearby holding cell.
Evans, who has already indicated that he intends to plead not guilty to the charges, is accused of beating and strangling Van Rensburg, 36, to death at his Oyster Bay holiday home.
Her body was discovered during the early hours of April 20.
Asked by state prosecutor Bianca Burger why bail should not be granted, Kato responded that the charges were extremely serious.
He said looking at the severity of the charges, Evans — should he be convicted — faced life in prison.
'On top of that, they are gender-based violence related charges,' he said.
'We can see awareness being raised about gender-based violence, including in the media.'
Asked what the public was saying about the case on social media, he said: 'Most of the comments are from people pointing a finger at Mr Evans and calling for justice for Vanessa.
'One comment I saw stated 'I worked for him, I could have expected it'.'
Kato said Evans' own brother had allegedly told the police they always knew he had a temper, but that they had never expected it to come to this.
Burger asked: 'He has a disposition to being aggressive and you're saying that was confirmed by his own brother?'
'Yes,' Kato replied.
According to Kato, additional charges could still be added.
He said the first person to attend to Van Rensburg's body was a member of the National Sea Rescue Institute, and that she was already cold to the touch.
Kato said Evans only contacted a private security company — and not for medical assistance.
'You don't watch your loved one dying and not do anything you can to assist,' he said.
'If you cannot do it yourself, then get help.
'The first thing I would do is to get medical assistance.'
He warned that Evans was a flight risk.
'If he paid bail of R100,000 and knows he faces two life terms, he might be a flight risk.
'He has all the means to do so [flee],' Kato said, noting that Evans' businesses made a turnover of more than R7m a month.
'With that money, he can do whatever he wants.'
He said Evans could possibly interfere with witnesses.
Kato then read out a line from the statement by business owner Ronel van Eyck, who reported a separate assault incident at the Old Grey Club on March 28.
Van Eyck said her staff had sent her an incident report while she was in Vietnam, and she had subsequently informed the Old Grey Union and barred Evans from the premises.
'I knew Rob well as I have had encounters with him at Crusaders,' she said, recalling a past altercation during which Evans allegedly swore at her during a dispute over customer tabs.
She said the altercation was so heated that bouncers had to intervene.
Van Eyck said Evans was given a final written warning at Crusaders, where he served as treasurer.
Kato said further that witnesses were allegedly being contacted by the defence.
According to the state, Tiaan van Schalkwyk of Danie Gouws Attorneys, which represents Evans, had allegedly contacted Van Eyck.
'It is astounding to me that Vanessa was not the only female victim but also Ms Van Eyck,' Burger said.
Testimony continues.
The Herald
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Mail & Guardian
4 hours ago
- Mail & Guardian
MK party officials to discuss errant behaviour of Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla and Nhlamulo Ndhlela
Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla. (Delwyn Verasamy/M&G) uMkhonto weSizwe ( Zuma-Sambudla's father, party president Mail & Guardian . They said Sambudla‑Zuma and Ndhela had approached Zuma, attempting to influence him and to disparage parliamentary caucus leader Colleen Makhubele and parliamentary leader and deputy president On Tuesday, eNCA reported that it had seen a letter addressed to Zuma, in which the party's caucus in parliament called for Makhubele to be removed from her position, saying her pro-Israel stance betrayed the party's values. According to the news channel, the MPs also said Makkhubele posed a threat to party unity and had demonstrated poor leadership and conduct that alienated members. In another leaked letter, dated 23 June, addressed to Ndhela and copied to Zuma, Hlophe said he wanted to formally inform the party spokesperson that he had been removed from the whippery team in parliament, effective immediately. The source said Ndhlela and Zuma-Sambudla had tried to use the alleged letter against Makhubele to deflect from 'the storm' brewing against Ndhlela. 'They saw the letter from the deputy president (copied) to the president. The plan was basically: 'How do we destabilise this storm that's coming?' So they decided to run with some fake stories. All the caucus members said they didn't know anything about a letter [against Makhubele] … No one has signed any letter,' the source said. 'Remember when the caucus leader was with the In his letter to Ndhela, Hlophe charged him with: Disrespectful communication: Repeated instances of rude, arrogant and dismissive communication toward parliamentary members, including senior leadership, undermining the dignity and collaborative spirit needed in the whippery team. Obstruction of parliamentary communications: Hindering the communications team's work with parliamentary members in press briefings and statement releases, causing delays and damaging the party's public image. Undermining unity and collaboration: Creating divisions among parliamentary members through perceived factional and counterproductive behaviour, contrary to the party's principles of unity and collective action. Hlophe gave Ndhela 21 days to appeal the decision. The behaviour of Sambudla-Zuma has also been slammed by the party's former secretary general, Folyd Shivambu and expelled MK party founder Jabulani Khumalo. In February, Zuma-Sambudla had to apologise to Shivambu after insulting him on social media platform X while Khumalo accused her of influencing Zuma into making decisions which were not good for the party. Asked by the M&G last month — after her appointment as chief whip — how long she expected to remain in the position given the party's reputation for frequently removing officials, Makhubele said she was unperturbed, insisting that for a new party such as the MK, changes were normal and people needed to adapt. 'At whatever point the leadership feels they need a new skill to stabilise the caucus, to take the caucus in a new direction, they will make those decisions,' she said. This week, another source said Ndhela and Sambudla‑Zuma generally ignored party structures and resisted being told what to do. 'Manyi was just trying to nurse their egos. Whoever comes and tries to run things organisationally, they do not like it — they want to be in charge,' the source said, referring to former parliamentary chief whip Mzwanele Manyi who was removed in May and replaced by Makhubele. They accused Ndhlela and Zuma-Sambudla of behaving as if they were founding members of the MK party and who believed they could not be told what to do. The second source also said no letter calling for Makhubele's removal had ever been signed by the party's MPs. 'Where is this letter? People were asked if they signed it, but no one said they did. There's nothing signed by members of parliament. We are having a meeting tomorrow and no one has signed any letter.' The MK party's head of presidency, 'I don't preempt the agenda. I'm part of the committee that drafts it. I'm not panicking about what's in it or not. Tomorrow [Thursday] the agenda will be finalised. If the matter must be on the agenda, it will be — but it can't be a meeting just for that item,' he said. Mzobe said he didn't understand why party members were creating a non-existent urgency about the meeting, saying officials' meetings happen regularly 'every fortnight night' in the party. 'It's a standard meeting — these meetings always include reports from parliament. A parliamentary report is a regular item. In the governance report, always delivered by the deputy president, he updates the meeting on what's happening in parliament,' he said, adding that this particular one had been originally set for this week but was postponed because of a bereavement in the Zuma family. 'The agenda isn't decided until Thursday, when all issues are brought forward. I don't know where this assumption came from that one specific thing will be discussed when there is no agenda yet,' Mzobe added. 'I don't know why people are anxious about the agenda. People are told there's a meeting and everyone brings their items. I'm meeting the president today or tomorrow. I don't know why people think we'll discuss that issue in a standard meeting and not an urgent meeting.' Asked whether the party would address the alleged theft of R7 million raised by In the media briefing, Shivambu said Zuma was surrounded by 'political scoundrels' who exploited his vulnerability in old age to create false intelligence reports and mislead him with the aim of embezzling money from MK. 'They are withdrawing not less than R7 million from the organisation's coffers. We are addressing this internally, warning them: stop what you are doing because you're going to get the party deregistered as a political party,' he said. This week Mzobe told the M&G: 'I can't say we are sitting to look at the R7 million specifically. There is a financial report that must give us what we need to know, and there's a governance report that must tell us what's happening in parliament. We're not panicking just because something's trending as a headline — it doesn't require an urgent meeting.' Makhubele and Hlophe were due to brief the media on Thursday on the latest developments in parliament, including ongoing budget votes.
The Herald
7 hours ago
- The Herald
Two family members of 'rotten food farmer' arrested by Hawks
Two family members will join Mpumalanga farmer Pieter Grobler, who is accused of repackaging and selling expired and rotten food for human consumption, in court after they were arrested by the Hawks this week. 'Mark Lombard, 29, and Sonnet Lombard, 46, have joined Pieter Grobler, 41, who was released on R8,000 bail after he was arrested for repackaging and selling expired and rotten food for human consumption at a farm in Charl Cilliers [in Mpumalanga] in February,' Hawks spokesperson Magonseni Nkosi told TimesLIVE on Wednesday. 'The two suspects, believed to be Grobler's relatives, were arrested by the Hawks' Secunda serious organised crime investigation-led team, including tactical response team, Secunda K9, Charl Cillier SAPS and Secunda criminal records centre officers [and] brand owners on Tuesday.' The Lombards were released on warning after their brief court appearance in Secunda magistrate's court on Tuesday. 'The two suspects allegedly conspired with Grobler to commit fraudulent activities and money laundering. They were warned by the court to appear with Grobler on August 1.' According to the Hawks, during Grobler's arrest several assets were found on the scene and are subject to further investigation.
The Herald
7 hours ago
- The Herald
'Diddy' convicted of prostitution, cleared on more serious charges
Sean 'Diddy' Combs was found guilty on Wednesday of prostitution-related offences but cleared of more serious charges, in a blow to prosecutors who had urged a jury to find him guilty of racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking. Combs was convicted of transportation to engage in prostitution but acquitted of racketeering conspiracy and two counts of sex trafficking, a partial win for the former billionaire known for elevating hip-hop in American culture. The verdict followed a criminal trial in which two of the music mogul's former girlfriends testified that he physically and sexually abused them. Combs faces a maximum 10-year prison sentence on each of the two prostitution counts. US district judge Arun Subramanian will determine Combs' sentence later. The acquittals on the sex trafficking counts mean he will avoid a 15-year mandatory minimum sentence. He could have faced life in prison if he were convicted on sex trafficking or racketeering conspiracy. After the judge dismissed the jury and lawyers for both sides, Combs knelt before his chair and appeared to pray. Combs then rose and faced the courtroom gallery. 'I'm gonna be home soon,' he said, smiling and clasping his hands. 'I love you. Thank you, I love you.' Combs' family and supporters erupted into applause and cheers. After the jury read its verdict, defence lawyer Marc Agnifilo asked Subramanian to release Combs on bail, which prosecutors opposed. Subramanian asked lawyers for both sides to submit written arguments on whether he should release Combs by 1pm. Prosecutors say Combs for two decades used his business empire to force two of his romantic partners to take part in drug-fuelled, days-long sexual performances sometimes known as 'Freak Offs' with male sex workers in hotel rooms while Combs watched, masturbated and occasionally filmed. During raids of Combs' homes, authorities found drugs and 1,000 bottles of baby oil and lubricant that he would use in the performances, prosecutors said. Combs, 55, had pleaded not guilty to all five counts. His lawyers acknowledged that the Bad Boy Records founder, once famed for hosting lavish parties for the cultural elite in luxurious locales like the Hamptons and Saint-Tropez, was at times violent in his domestic relationships. But they said the sexual activity described by prosecutors was consensual. The seven-week trial in Manhattan federal court exposed the inner workings of Combs' business empire and gave the 12-member jury an intimate look into his volatile romantic relationships with the rhythm and blues singer Casandra 'Cassie' Ventura and a woman known in court by the pseudonym Jane. Ventura sued Combs in November 2023 for sex trafficking, the first of dozens of civil lawsuits accusing him of abuse. Combs, also known throughout his career as Puff Daddy and P Diddy and once feted for turning artists like Notorious B.I.G. and Usher into stars, settled with Ventura for $20m. He has denied all wrongdoing. At the trial, jurors saw surveillance footage from 2016 showing Combs kicking and dragging Ventura in the hallway of an InterContinental hotel in Los Angeles, where she said she was trying to leave a 'Freak Off.' Jane later testified that Combs in June 2024 attacked her and directed her to perform oral sex on a male entertainer, even though she told him she did not want to. That alleged attack took place a month after Combs apologised on social media for his 2016 attack of Ventura, footage of which had been broadcast on CNN. According to prosecutors, physical violence was just one way Combs compelled Ventura and Jane to take part in the performances — an act of coercion they say amounts to sex trafficking because the male escorts were paid. Both women testified that he threatened to withhold financial support and to leak sexually explicit images of them if they refused to comply. 'The defendant used power, violence and fear to get what he wanted,' prosecutor Christy Slavik said in her closing argument on June 26. 'He doesn't take no for an answer.' Combs' lawyers argued that while Combs may have committed domestic violence in the context of volatile romantic partnerships, his conduct did not amount to sex trafficking. They argued that Ventura and Jane were strong, independent women who voluntarily took part in the sexual performances because they wanted to please Combs. Both women testified they spent time with Combs and took part in sexual performances after he beat them. Defence lawyers argued that Ventura and Jane were retrospectively accusing Combs of forcing their participation in the performances because they were jealous he was seeing other women. 'If he was charged with domestic violence, we wouldn't all be here,' Combs' lawyer Marc Agnifilo said in his closing argument on June 27. 'He did not do the things he's charged with.' Besides Ventura and Jane, jurors also heard testimony from Combs' former personal assistants who said their jobs included setting up hotel rooms for 'Freak Offs' and buying their boss drugs. An InterContinental security guard testified that Combs, in the presence of his chief of staff, paid him $100,000 to hand over what he thought was the only copy of the surveillance tape of his attack on Ventura. And Scott Mescudi, the rapper known as Kid Cudi, told jurors Combs was likely involved in an arson on his car after Combs found out he was romantically involved with Ventura. According to prosecutors, those were all acts Combs and his associates undertook in furtherance of a racketeering conspiracy whose aim was, in part, to facilitate his abuse and keep evidence of his wrongdoing under wraps. The defence argued Combs was a successful entrepreneur who used drugs recreationally, but kept his professional and personal lives separate. Combs has been held in federal lock-up in Brooklyn since his September 2024 arrest. Reuters
