UPDATE – LISTEN TO SOUND-CLIP: Charges dropped in Henning murder

“We have taken note of the prosecutions decision and we hope that Mr Henning and his family will now be able to move on with their lives”.

October 10, 2016

Tshegofatso Ngobeni 1 minute read

Nico Henning outside the court afterwards. Photo: Tshegofatso Ngobeni

The State has withdrawn charges of murder and conspiracy to commit murder against Pretoria businessman Nico Henning.

It announced the move when Henning appeared in the High Court on Monday morning.

He had been charged with orchestrating the killing of his wife Chanelle, who was gunned down outside their son’s crèche in Faerie Glen on November 2011.

Before Chanelle’s death, the couple had initiated divorce proceedings and were in a custody battle of their son.

Prosecutor Gerrie Nel, renowned for his role in the murder conviction of paralympian Oscar Pistorius, told the court the State was withdrawing all charges against Henning and was not ready to proceed.

Nel did not give reasons for this move.

National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Luvuyo Mfaku would not provide any further comment on court’s proceedings.

“The matter has been withdrawn and the State could not proceed today. It ends there,” said Mfaku.

Henning’s lawyer Piet van Wyk told reporters his team had taken note of the prosecution’s decision.

“We hope that Mr Henning and his family will now be able to move on with their lives”.

Henning did not comment.

He has been accused of having hired Andre Gouws and former Nigerian Athlete Ambrose Monye to kill his wife.

Monye and Gouws have since been sentenced to life imprisonment for murder while Gerhardus “Doepie” du Plessis and Willem “Pike” Pieterse, are serving 18-year prison terms after confessing to their roles in the killing.

Gouws confessed that his friend wanted his wife dead and had requested Monye to get a hit man. He told the court that he was offered R1 million by Henning to kill his wife.

Monye then asked Du Plessis and Pieterse to kill Chanelle.