Husband to be trialed in Vereeniging for wife’s death

VEREENIGING. – “The wheels are turning. Sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly, sometimes very slowly, but they are turning.”
Eighteen months of anger and intense heartache is locked up in these words on Mr Arnold Kester’s Facebook wall.

It started on Thursday November 6, 2014, when Arnold and his ex-wife Genee received the news all parents dread to hear: Their beautiful 27-year-old daughter, Ché Rudelle Fox (Kester), was murdered in her home in Rust-ter-Vaal, Vereeniging. She was killed with a single bullet to her head. Her husband, Edward Kennedy Fox, a police officer in the Flying Squad in the Vaal Triangle, told his colleagues she was shot by intruders.
It seemed at first as if the investigation was making no progress, but on Wednesday, April 20 this year, 17 months after Ché’s death, the case took an unexpected turn when her husband was arrested and his service pistol confiscated by the Hawks. On Thursday April 21 Edward appeared in the Vereeniging Magistrates Court and was granted bail of R10 000.

He again appeared in court on May 12 when he was given the dates set for his trial in December.
“Our family is still devastated by Ché’s death. If you knew her you would have known why she was the love of the family. She was focused, caring, she loved life and was well-loved by her colleagues. She was a go-getter and her career as a credit controller at SAB Miller was just starting to fall into place with the promise of a promotion. That is why she was contemplating completing her BCom degree in 2015,” says her mom, Genee.

Ché matriculated at Hoërskool Dr Malan in Meyerton after which she obtained a diploma in Hotel, Catering and Resort Management. She loved entertaining and preparing food, and planned to pursue this later in life when her children, Senomia (9) and Giovanni (4) were grown up.
“She was the pillar of our family and we were saving to start up a small transportation business.
So many dreams are lost,” says Genee. Arnold also remembers his daughter as a loving, kind-hearted go-getter – a born mother and leader.
“My loss as a mother is immense, as if a part of my being was ripped away. She did not deserve to die the way she did and yet, I know that she would want me to forgive and not hate, for she had no hatred in her,” says Genee.
All they have left of Ché are her two beautiful children and her gravesite in Rust-ter-Vaal.

As far as Vaalweekblad & Sedibeng Ster can establish, Edward’s suspension from duty has been lifted, but by the time this report was filed no official confirmation could be obtained. His trial has been set for December 5 to 15 in the Vereeniging High Court. He was granted custody over the two children but Arnold and Genee will be contesting this in the Children’s Court on June 3.