Action Society welcomes the court’s firm decision today to reject the defence’s Section 174 application in the murder trial of Nadia Lotz, ensuring that the accused, Charles Appolis, will face the stand when the trial resumes on 19 and 20 January 2026.
Lotz was stabbed three times and had her throat slit on 4 March 2023, allegedly by Appolis, her boyfriend. She was sitting in the front passenger seat of a car driven by a friend when Appolis, seated behind her, allegedly leaned forward and attacked her. In a desperate attempt to escape, she leapt from the moving vehicle but collapsed on the road, where she died in the arms of a stranger who had rushed to help.
Since the trial began in July 2025, several witnesses have taken the stand and described the horrifying sequence of events. The first witness, a close friend of Nadia and the driver of the car, testified that she tried to fend off the attack while keeping control of the vehicle. The defence attempted to shift blame onto her, alleging that she was the one who attacked Nadia because she was interested in Appolis romantically – a claim she firmly denied, stating she had no romantic involvement with him.
A second eyewitness, who had been driving behind the vehicle with her children, testified that she saw someone fall from the moving car. She stopped to assist and found Nadia severely wounded. Despite her desperate attempts to stop the bleeding, Nadia succumbed to her injuries at the scene.
A former SAPS Warrant Officer also testified, confirming that he had photographed the scene, the vehicle, and the accused. He detailed the injuries on Appolis’ hand and leg and confirmed the presence of extensive bloodstains in both the front and rear sections of the car. The post-mortem report and crime scene photographs were submitted as part of the State’s evidence.
Appolis’ defence team brought a Section 174 application at the close of the State’s case, arguing that the evidence presented was insufficient to sustain a conviction. A Section 174 application is a legal mechanism that allows the court to acquit an accused person if the prosecution’s evidence does not establish a case to answer. The magistrate, however, firmly rejected the application, ruling that the State had presented enough evidence for the trial to continue, meaning Appolis will now be required to testify when proceedings resume.
Action Society’s Head of Action Centre, Kaylynn Palm, praised the court’s stance, emphasising that victims of gender-based violence and their families deserve persistence, not procedural games.
“The magistrate’s firm refusal to dismiss this case sends a message of accountability and resolve,” said Palm. “For nearly three years, Nadia’s family has endured postponement after postponement, each one reopening their trauma. Today’s decision restores some hope that justice will be served and that the system has not forgotten Nadia.”
Action Society continues to stand by Nadia’s family and remains steadfast in its call for greater urgency in the prosecution of intimate partner violence cases across South Africa.
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