Johan Smith (55), a teacher at a primary school near Brits, appeared in the Brits Magistrate’s Court yesterday in connection with the murder of his wife, Theonette (57).

According to local police spokesperson Constable Ben Moabi, Theonette’s body was found on a farm in the Rashoop area on Sunday morning.

“When the police received the report of a body found, Smith was at the police station reporting her missing. He accompanied the police to the scene and identified the body as that of his wife. He told police that his wife had gone missing the day before, after an argument,” Moabi says.

Moabi adds that following a police investigation, Smith was arrested later that day. “The accused appeared before Brits Magistrate’s Court on Friday, and the case was postponed to October 25.”

Smith remains in custody.

According to Chris van den Heever of Secure Guarding, who responded to the scene where the body was found, the security company received a call from Smith in the early hours of Sunday, reporting his wife missing.

“We deployed our patrollers in the area to be on the lookout for her. Early on Sunday morning, pedestrians discovered the body, and we were alerted,” Van den Heever adds.