South Africa’s ongoing struggle with gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) is again under scrutiny as the case involving the 2023 murders of Alberton mother Nadine Terblanche and her 10-year-old son Ruandré Vorster remains stalled due to repeated court delays.

Nearly two years after the killings, the alleged mastermind, Frederick Stapelberg, is still awaiting a psychiatric evaluation, leaving the victims’ family trapped in what they describe as a cycle of trauma.

Case delays compound a mother’s grief

Nadine’s mother, 56-year-old Carol Terblanche, told the Alberton Record that each postponement forces her to relive the murders carried out on November 27, 2023 at her daughter’s Alberton home.

“I take each day as it comes, but every delay breaks me all over again,” she said. “Birthdays now pass in silence. Ruandré would have turned 11 on October 6. Nadine’s birthday on September 21 is unbearable.”

Carol said this time of year, with the anniversary of their deaths, is the hardest to endure.

Accused sits 92nd on psychiatric waiting list

The High Court has ordered a psychiatric evaluation for Stapelberg, but progress remains slow. He currently sits 92nd on the waiting list, down from 128, with no confirmed date for his admission.

Carol believes the accused is ‘manipulating the system’ to delay accountability. While she does not fault the law itself, she says the system enables delays that deepen the suffering of families left behind.

She expressed gratitude to the state prosecutor, who she says ‘has stood by me through every setback’.

Government declares GBVF a national crisis

The delays come as the government has formally endorsed the call to declare GBVF a national crisis, confirming its intention to accelerate implementation of the National Strategic Plan on GBVF.

The Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities said the declaration strengthens efforts across six pillars, including justice, protection, social cohesion and economic empowerment.

Minister Sindisiwe Chikunga urged all sectors to unite against GBVF, emphasising that ‘government alone cannot end the violence’.

The department will launch the Letsema campaign during the 16 Days of Activism to encourage collaborative action, including responsible reporting by media houses.

Co-accused turned state witness

Earlier this year, co-accused Pardon Danhire pleaded guilty under a plea agreement. He admitted to killing Nadine with an axe and suffocating Ruandré with a pillow after allegedly being promised R100 000 by Stapelberg.

Danhire was sentenced to 25 years’ imprisonment, with five years suspended on condition he testifies against Stapelberg. His testimony forms a central part of the state’s case.

“Women live in fear daily”

Carol says the stalled case reflects the broader crisis facing women across the country.

“Women in South Africa live in fear daily. The system makes healing impossible, but I will keep fighting for Nadine and Ruandré.”

She urged victims of abuse to value themselves and leave dangerous situations, and warned perpetrators of the lifelong devastation they inflict on families.

Another postponement

With Stapelberg’s evaluation still outstanding, the case has been postponed to January 29. Until then, the family, and the country, waits for progress in a month symbolically marked by purple ribbons, grief and the ongoing struggle against gender-based violence.

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