MXit relationship ‘led to murder’

They met on MXit and it later allegedly led to Marianna Kotze’s death and Pieter Nel facing charges of murder and aggravated robbery.

A summary of facts attached to the charge sheet said Kotze, from Kraaifontein, was believed to have befriended Nel in the chatroom two months before her death.

It is the State’s case that Nel, who allegedly “planned” the murder, visited her home one night and fatally stabbed her before stealing several of her personal belongings, including her car.

The State is calling for a minimum sentence of life imprisonment.

According to the papers, prior to the incident, Kotze, with a friend and colleague, Elizabeth Visagie, is believed to have picked Nel up on several occasions during August 2008. The trio would then visit GrandWest casino together.

The papers say that on the day of the incident - August 31, 2008 - Kotze, who worked at Rhoville Motors in Brackenfell, left the premises at about 5pm.

Two hours later, she went to visit her daughter, Ronel Kotze, in Durbanville and left shortly afterwards.

“(Nel) visited her that evening at her home. It was there that he stabbed her with a knife or a sharp object - stabbing her several times on her head, neck and shoulders,” says the State.

“Afterwards, he stole several items from her home and sold them. This included a DVD player, a Samsung video machine, three Nokia cellphones, a handbag that contained her personal items, a two-plate stove, a George Foreman Grill-machine, nine-carat rings, a radio, a computer, a green umbrella and a Nissan Micra.”

It is alleged that Nel left Kotze’s home in her car with the stolen items.

The vehicle was later found abandoned not far from Nel’s home, while Kotze’s body was found in her home three days after she was killed.

The papers say that a post-mortem proved that she had died as a result of a “stab or cut wound”.

In MXit, which reportedly has some 27 million subscribers and was developed locally, users communicate via instant messaging on cellphones or personal computers, locally or internationally.

MXit is particularly popular among the youth and school-going children and has previously also come under fire for its use by “cyber bullies” who claim to “befriend” children before spamming them with porn.

Judge Monde Samela will hear the case in the Western Cape High Court on Thursday.

aeysha.kassiem@inl.co.za - Cape Times