Nadia Lotz: Stabbed in the neck
It has been almost a year since Nadia Lotz, a mother of three, was stabbed in the neck by her partner of 13 years, Charles Appolis. The two were passengers in Nadia’s friend’s car when Appolis played their favourite song and suddenly stabbed Nadia in the neck and slit her throat. Nadia attempted to escape by jumping from the moving car, but died on the sidewalk. Nadia’s killer was out on bail for another stabbing incident, and there was a long history of violence in their relationship. “Had Appolis been denied bail for his previous serious offences, Nadia would be alive today. Their children have been left without parents, one having brutally murdered the other. Appolis appeared in the Strand Magistrates court on 22 February, but the case was postponed to 19 March 2024 for possible plea.
19 Churchgoers raped at gunpoint during service
The Khayelitsha community was shaken to its core when 19 women were sexually assaulted and raped at the Showers of Blessings Church in Taiwan in Site C on 9 April 2023. The assailants robbed congregants of cellphones and money and sexually assaulted the women – forcing them to perform sexual acts with guns to their heads. The men forced their way into the church during load-shedding. The two accused appeared in the Khayelitsha Regional court last week and the matter was postponed to 07 March 2024 for further legal consultation.
Photographer rapist: Used his occupation to lure aspiring model
Action Society continues to support a young woman who was raped by a well-known Paarl photographer. The photographer used his occupation to lure the aspiring model to a secluded area, where he drugged and raped her. The photographer appeared in the Paarl Regional court on 12 February, but the matter was postponed to 4 April 2024.
Mietjie Ontong: Murdered in her house
Mietjie Ontong (63), a pillar in her community, was murdered in cold blood in her house in Hermon last year. Dozens of her friends and family stood with Action Society when her two alleged killers first appeared in court. The accused appeared in the Wellington Magistrates court again on 13 February, but the case was postponed to 6 March 2024 for further investigation.
Candice Robertson: Murdered in fake suicide
Candice Roberts was found dead in a guest house room she and her boyfriend of the time shared in Greenpoint, Cape Town, on 30 April 2022. According to reports, her alleged killer called the owner of the guest house to report that Robertson had committed suicide. However, when medical help and the police arrived, it quickly became clear that it is doubtful that she had committed suicide. Her boyfriend was arrested. The case had previously been provisionally struck off the court-roll for further investigation, but has since been put back on the court roll. The accused appeared before the Cape Town Regional court on 14 February, but the matter was postponed to 29 March 2024, as the Magistrate was unwell.
Orchid*: Raped teenager
Action Society continued it’s oversight of a rape case involving a teenage girl who was raped by a teenage boy in her community. The accused appeared in the Mitchells Plain Regional court on 6 February, but the matter was postponed to 29 February 2024 for consideration of the defence’s application to recall the witness.
Charlene Pretorius: Set alight in front of her children
The monster from Pretoria North, who set his wife, 42-year-old Charlene Pretorius, alight in front of their teenage daughter on 27 May last year, appeared in the Pretoria North Magistrate’s court again on 15 February. He watched her burn before fleeing the scene while his parents and sister rushed her to hospital. The case was postponed to 11 March as the post mortem report was not yet available.
Melissa Dale: Disabled woman raped
The investigation into the brutal rape and murder of Melissa Bianca Dale has been completed. Dale, a disabled woman who was murdered on the grounds of the Wynberg Military base, is suspected to have been raped and murdered by the son of a South African Defence Force member living on the premises. Action Society attended the case against the suspect at the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court on February 6, but the case was postponed until 28 February.
Thimna Kuze: Found dead in a shack
The murder case against the man that stands accused of murdering Thimna Kuze, the 13-year-old who was found dead in a shack with blood in her nose, mouth and groin area, continued in the Khayelitsha Magistrates court on 21 February. The case was postponed to 14 March 2024 for further consultations with the legal team.
Violet*: Raped by uncle
Action Society supported Violet*, a teenager who was raped by her uncle in 2019. The case against the accused continued in the Mitchells Plain Magistrates court again on 22 February. This case has been particularly frustrating and has been postponed at least 12 times. Another postponement was granted on 27 February as a French interpreter was unavailable.
*Violet and Orchid are pseudonyms used to protect the identity of the victims.
