MBOMBELA – A full 10 days have been allocated for the High Court trial of convicted rapist and alleged murderer Frans Mokoena. His case will be heard in the local Circuit High Court from August 15 to 26. Lowvelder received confirmation of the allocated court dates on Tuesday.
Mokoena was arrested on December 13, 2014 following the brutal murder of veterinary surgeon, Dr Rensia de Wet on December 8 that year. De Wet was a well-known and much-loved figure in White River. The town’s equestrian community reportedly had great respect for her expertise.
The brutality of De Wet’s murder sent shockwaves through the Lowveld. She had been raped, repeatedly stabbed and strangled.
When he appeared in the White River and Nelspruit Magistrate’s courts in January last year, it transpired that he had a criminal record and was out on parole at the time of the murder.
His parole was revoked and the three years left of his rape sentence became effective on January 16, 2015. Meanwhile police investigations all over Mpumalanga were connecting the dots between Mokoena’s alleged multiple crimes.
He now faces 14 charges including the rape, robbery and murder of various victims including De Wet. Mokoena has also been charged with the kidnapping, assault and rape of a woman from Lekazi near eMalahleni on October 9, 2013.
In August 2014 he allegedly raped, robbed and killed a woman from Ngodwana and, in October robbed Mr Petrus Johannes Roets from Mbombela.
De Wet’s father, Mr Sarel Burger, previously said the loss of a child was a difficult thing to deal with. “Nothing can bring her back,” he said. On the year anniversary of De Wet’s death,
Ms Candyce du Randt posted a beautiful photo of her late cousin on Facebook.
“Our hearts still ache from the loss,” she wrote in the caption. “But her legacy lives on.”
“To me, she demonstrated what it was to live fearlessly, determined and never ever giving up on her dreams. She was so strong and so brave. We will always remember you, Rensia.”
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