Pro-Life rescue founder arrested for alleged perjury

MBOMBELA – Erasmus and Pieter Johannes Vorster appeared in the Nelspruit District Court on Thursday morning. They were arrested at the animal sanctuary on Wednesday and released on a warning.

Pro-Life Pet Rescue opened its doors in November 2013. It is a non-profit organisation with a policy not to euthanise healthy animals. It has helped many animals that have been abandoned in and around the city to find loving homes over the last five years. The centre is popular within the community and many individuals and businesses support it.

READ MORE HERE: UPDATE: Pro-Life distances itself from founder’s court case

According to police spokesman, Lt Col Erhard Stroh, the arrests stemmed from the alleged theft of a firearm from their shared home on June 30.

He said the couple reported to police that their home was burgled by a Pro-Life staff member who was house-sitting for them.

“They made a statement to police on July 3 that the staff member had gotten hold of their safe keys and stolen tablets, a cellphone and a firearm out of the safe,” Stroh said.

According to Stroh, police discovered upon investigation that the firearm had not been in the safe, but was kept in a side drawer.

On Monday police returned to Erasmus for a statement regarding the firearm.

“Police were then told that all the items had been returned by the staff member, including the firearm, and it was now in her safe. She never called the police to notify us that the items were returned. The weapon was confiscated by police.”

Earlier this month Lowvelder’s sister publication Nelspruit Post reported that a burglary took place at the centre on the same day, June 30.

Erasmus told the newspaper at the time that the theft occurred at around 13:00 when the woman who normally locked up was cleaning a dog’s wound in the clinic.

She said she suspected that two staff members, who were employed to clean and feed the animals, stole their money box and other items as they had vanished straight after the incident.

The theft was discovered on the Monday morning. Erasmus said there had been about R5 000 in the money box. She said she had an appointment to open a police case on Tuesday.

Police said the incident at the centre was never reported to them.

The court matter was postponed for further investigation until August 2.

Lowvelder contacted Erasmus. She said she was not able to comment as instructed by her lawyers at present, until the matter was finalised in court.