George man receives life sentence for the brutal murder of his ex-wife

The Western Cape High Court has sentenced a man to life imprisonment, 37 years and three months direct imprisonment after the State successfully prosecuted him for the brutal murder of his ex-wife after ending their relationship. 

Rodney Witbooi of George, was convicted on charges of attempted rape, two counts of illegal possession of drugs, housebreaking, attempted murder and murder.

Senior State Advocate Evadne Kortje led 13 witnesses who testified that on January 25 2020, a victim and her friends visited the Purple Turtle Nightclub in Pacaltsdorp, George. 

According to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) the victim remained behind as her friends made their way into the club. Witbooi approached her and initiated a conversation. Shortly thereafter, he choked and dragged her to a darker part of the parking area. 

He threatened her with a knife, assaulted her neck and pushed her to the ground. She frantically fought back and stabbed him in the face. She also screamed for help, and her friends heard her screams. They came to her aid, chased the accused, caught him and handed him over to the police. He was arrested and charged with attempted rape.

Eric Ntabazalila, NPA, Regional Communications Manager said while appearing in court on the attempted rape case, Witbooi became romantically involved with Sone Le Roux and lived together for two years at 13 Boekenhout Street, Loerie Park, George. 

“They subsequently married on October 12 2022. They stayed with her sister and her boyfriend, Chaindre Le Roux and Lionel Fourie, in her mother’s house. On 19 December 2022, Le Roux and her friends were socialising when a disagreement erupted between her sister and the intoxicated Witbooi, who became aggressive towards his ex-wife and her sister," he explained.

“He had a physical altercation with his ex-wife and her sister. A security company responsible for neighbourhood watch duties in the area, and the police were notified and requested to remove the accused from the premises. 

“She wanted him removed and not to return to the property. A domestic violence case was opened, and police forcefully removed the accused, warning him not to return to the property.”

 Ntabazalila explained that the sisters did not open a criminal case but successfully applied for an interim protection order in terms of the Domestic Violence Act, No. 116 of 1998, against the accused. 

“He was not served with the interim protection order. While in the police station cells, police found a mandrax tablet and tik while searching him during a patrol of cells on 20 December 2022. Police charged him with illegal possession of drugs,” he detailed.

“Police released him the following day after a case was not enrolled, and he was cautioned not to return to the property of the two sisters.”

On December 20 2022, his friend went to look for him at his ex-wife’s house, and she immediately alerted the security company that the accused might be in the vicinity. They did not find him during a search of the property. In the early hours of 21 December 2022, Le Roux alerted her elder sister that the accused was in the yard as she was tracking his movements on her cellphone. Shortly thereafter, she found the accused inside the house, armed with a panga. 

They alerted the security company. Witbooi demanded to speak to his former wife and they moved towards the passage in the house. 

“Chandre followed her sister as she did not want to leave her alone with the accused. He became enraged when his ex-wife told him it was over, and he started hacking her with the panga,”  Ntabazalila stated.

“He also attacked Chandre and her boyfriend as they attempted to intervene. He also attacked a security officer from the security company. Chandre suffered injuries following the attack. The security officers cornered the accused in the kitchen, and they subdued and disarmed him. He was handed over to the police. His ex-wife was declared dead in the house.”

In the attempted rape charge, Advocate Kortje argued that Witbooi ran away, which reinforces the inference that the attack was calculated on the complainant. He approached the complainant when she was alone, and he attacked her unprovoked. In the femicide case, Witbooi only pleaded guilty to the charges of illegal possession of drugs.

Witbooi was sentenced to 15 years direct imprisonment for attempted rape, three months imprisonment for the two counts of illegal possession of drugs, 7 years direct imprisonment for housebreaking, 15 years direct imprisonment for attempted murder and life imprisonment for murder. The court ordered the sentences to run concurrently, effectively sentencing him to life imprisonment. It declared him unfit to possess a firearm.

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