Some relatives may be softening but Christelle Lotter, the only other sibling of convicted killers Nicolette and Hardus, says she still has nothing to say to the pair.
Nicolette, 29, and Hardus, 23, were found guilty on Tuesday of murdering their parents, as was Mathew Naidoo, 25, Nicolette’s former boyfriend.
Hardus appeared to have come to terms with the possibility of spending a long time behind bars.
He told reporters: “I am anxious about the sentence. I know the prison system. I am going to spend the rest of my life there.
“Wherever I go, I go with God.”
Asked if he would forgive Naidoo, he replied: “I can’t be a Christian without being able to forgive.”
Christelle’s lawyer, Piet Matthee, told The Mercury on Tuesday: “Christelle is glad that it is finally coming to an end… she wants finality. She says this is so unreal and incomprehensible… and so sad.
“And she hopes, in time, there will be a measure of healing for her and her aunts and uncles.
“But she is adamant that she has nothing to say to her brother and sister.”
Christelle – who now stands to inherit her parents’ entire estate – was studying at Stellenbosch in the Western Cape in July 2008 when Nicolette and Hardus murdered their parents, Johan and Rickie, in their Westville home.
She has not spoken to the media directly and did not attend the trial.
Matthee said he believed this was the right decision.
“I believe that for her wellbeing it was better that she kept away from the trial. She has been sheltered from it because it has not been big news in the Western Cape. She is getting on with her life, although she did not complete her studies – partly because of what happened.”
Matthee said he had not seen the entire judgment, but would pass on to Christelle comments by the judge that he believed Hardus and Nicolette had been subjected to “brainwashing” by Naidoo.
But while their sister has turned her back on them, Nicolette is relying on a public declaration of forgiveness from her paternal uncle, a Dutch Reformed Church dominee, to reduce her sentence or keep her out of jail.
Willem Lotter, who lives in Cape Town, has attended most of the trial. He was not in court yesterday because he was at the bedside of his seriously ill father.
Nicolette’s advocate, Theuns Botha, asked the judge for sentencing to be postponed until next week so that Lotter could give evidence on behalf of Nicolette.
Lotter could not be contacted for comment on Tuesday, but The Mercury understands that while “hesitant”, he is willing to testify.
The siblings told the court they were under the influence of Naidoo – who claimed to be the third son of God – but Durban High Court Judge Shyam Gyanda pronounced them all guilty.
He found that while the siblings were victims of Naidoo – a con artist who was a pathological liar – they could be held criminally liable for the murders, the brainwashing being a possible mitigating factor in sentencing them.
Relatives at the trial appeared to soften towards the siblings as evidence was introduced of Naidoo’s influence.
Yesterday, uncles and aunts from Rickie’s side of the family went over individually to Hardus, holding his hand and chatting to him softly.
At one stage, Hardus said to them, “Ek waardeer dit (I appreciate it)”, before bursting into tears.
Giving evidence on behalf of Hardus, Pastor Danny Israel told the court: “I cannot measure the amount of remorse a man should have… but I cannot imagine anyone having more remorse.”
Hardus was already rehabilitated and still “hoping for mercy from the court”, he said.
“I am prepared to open my home to him so that he can continue his IT studies and give back to society,” Israel said.
Nicolette – who shed tears for the first time while the judge gave his 90-minute judgment – did not speak to the media afterwards.
Sentencing will be on Monday. - The Mercury