SECUNDA –Mr Hennie van Rooyen, a resident of Secunda, was in the dock in the Durban High Court last week for the murder of Mr Jan Johannes (Hannes) Craemer in November 2015.
The murder trial began in the last week of August.
Mr Van Rooyen was a known businessman in Secunda. He later partnered up with Mr Creamer at Van Vreden’s Panel Beaters in Tzaneen, but returned to Secunda about three years ago.
Mr Craemer, a 28-year-old married father, disappeared on 30 November 2015.
He was last seen alive after finishing his shift at work and was reported missing to Brighton Beach Police by his family shortly afterwards.
The court heard evidence that Mr Van Rooyen had rented a room at the Durban Spa Hotel on Oliver Tambo Parade under an alias of F F Neethling at the time and left early without checking out. A hotel worker testified a “do not disturbed” sign was placed on the door.
Mr Craemer’s body was discovered in the hotel room on 3 December 2015.
He had been shot in the face and head.
Ms Susana Maria Roberts, the head of reservations at Durban Spa Hotel, testified last week about finding Mr Craemer’s body.
She said she went to the room with the maintenance manager and smelled something bad when they came up to the door. The security was called to open the room with a master key.
Ms Roberts did not enter the room because of the unbearable smell. They called the police.
CCTV footage played in court showed Messrs Van Rooyen and Craemer enter the room the day of Mr Craemer’s disappearance. Mr Van Rooyen later left the room.
He was involved in a serious car accident near Middelburg when travelling from Durban back to Secunda shortly after Mr Craemer’s murder. He was seriously injured and was only arrested months later.
Mr Van Rooyen appeared and was granted bail in the Durban Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday, 15 February 2017.
Ridge Times at the time reported Mr Van Rooyen had been granted bail of R3 000 after submitting a schedule six bail application.
During his bail application, Mr Van Rooyen stated under oath that he had acted in self-defense.
The trial will continue in January.
Also read:
https://www.citizen.co.za/ridge-times/82623/secunda-businessman-appears-in-court-for-murder-of-former-colleague/
