As the final judgment on murder-accused Werner de Jager’s bail application is set to be heard this Thursday, the state and his defence argued whether or not there was a public outcry at his last appearance.

On February 5 and 6, scores of community members rallied outside the Amanzimtoti Magistrate’s Court to stand in solidarity and demand bail be denied.

They were holding up placards and wearing ‘Deny bail, go to jail’ T-shirts, while chanting ‘No bail, rot in jail’ as De Jager exited the police van and made his way into the court.

His attorney André May said the only reason people came was because they were invited via a video on social media.

State prosecutor Gayle Greyling, who acknowledged the video of Ian Cameron of Action Society, said people have lives and cannot take leave to attend court proceedings each time it gets postponed. She added that the reason people showed up in their numbers was because it was meant to be the final day – the day they could show resistance to a decision that may be made.

Apart from saying De Jager is a flight risk, Greyling said he is a danger to himself and others, and therefore, the community will feel unsafe with him being out on bail.

“The state also wants to charge him for two more murders, for the women who lost their lives last year following a car accident. Despite his mental state and knowing he experiences blackouts, he still chose to get behind the wheel,” she said.

De Jager is charged with killing his wife, Reverend Liezel de Jager, in October 2021, at their home in Amanzimtoti.

The investigation ground to a halt until the intervention of Action Society, a civil rights group, saw it being transferred to the SAPS National Cold Case Investigative Unit, which made the arrest on November 23, 2023.

The state has alleged that De Jager planned the death of his wife Liezel, to benefit from life insurance policies totalling R3.29m.