“We are paid to kill you.”
These were the alleged chilling words of two Nigerians to Blue Bulls and SA Rugby Sevens player Deon Helberg, when they blew the whistle on a 47-year-old woman on Monday.
Branded as a “cougar” in earlier reports, Manda Reyneke is the mother of Helberg’s former model girlfriend, and wife to an anaesthetist.
It is alleged that she was a spurned woman, who plotted the 21-year-old rugby player’s death for the past year, after he apparently walked out on her. However, Helberg’s family yesterday firmly denied that there had been a relationship between the two.
Helberg left Pretoria for “safety reasons”, while Reyneke was arrested on Thursday during a sting operation for conspiracy to commit a murder.
She will spend the weekend in the Pretoria Moot police cells, instead of her luxury home in Silver Lakes, until she appears in court on Monday.
Her lawyer, Jacques Beetge, said they would apply for bail then.
Helberg’s uncle, Johan Lourens, yesterday stated that the young man never had a relationship or affair with Reyneke.
“He dated her daughter, Jalien. Deon never had a relationship with the mother. The mother apparently started with her stories when he and Jalien broke up two years ago,” Lourens said.
It was alleged that Reyneke began threatening Helberg via smses shortly after the break-up.
The plot to kill him was apparently hatched a year ago.
Two months ago Reyneke reportedly met the two Nigerians, asking them to “get rid” of Helberg.
She allegedly gave them money to buy weapons, ammunition and other equipment needed for the crime, promising them more money once the “hit” was completed.
However, Lourens said, the Nigerians contacted Helberg on Monday, after they were pressured to get the “job” done.
“They said to him: ‘You are Deon Helberg. You drive this car and you do this and that. We are paid to kill you’. They also said they did not want to speak to family, only a guardian. So Deon contacted me and then referred the Nigerians to me,” the uncle said.
The Hawks and Pretoria organised crime unit detectives staged a photograph of a “dead and bleeding” Helberg. This was SMSed to Reyneke as “proof” that the Nigerians had completed their “job”.
When the woman met with the “killers” in the parking lot of the Atterbury Valuemart on Thursday, she allegedly handed R10 000 in a bundle of R100 notes to them.
Seconds later armed police surrounded her silver Volvo, ordering Reyneke out of the car. To keep up the show, the two Nigerians were also “arrested”. It is expected that they will be used as State witnesses.
While it was still unclear when Reyneke would appear in court, one of the men was seen at the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court yesterday morning.
Realising the media had recognised him, the Nigerian hid inside the car, winding up the tinted windows.
He made it clear that he did not want to be identified.
Lourens yesterday did not want to reveal where Helberg was, but confirmed he was outside the city.
“I spoke to him earlier. He is obviously relieved about the arrest, but is still stressed and concerned about his life. The family is still holding their breaths, waiting to see what will happen further.
“Deon’s parents are also doing alright under the circumstances. We are all very grateful towards the Hawks and the police,” the uncle said.
The lawyer said he had seen Reyneke on Thursday and yesterday and would also see her over the weekend.
“Taking the circumstances and the situation she is in, she is doing well,” he said.
As he represented the family, Beetge also did not want to confirm nor deny if Reyneke and her husband, Dave, who is believed to be in Middelburg, were in the process of divorcing.
Referring to rumours that the woman might have been planning more “hits”, Lourens said they had also heard that, but could not confirm, nor say who would have been the victims.
Police spokesman Colonel Vish Naidoo said they were not aware of these allegations.
Young Helberg sounded nervous and stressed when he answered his phone yesterday, saying he did not want to give any comment due to the ongoing investigation and the pending court case.
“Please, I can’t talk to you about this now,” he requested.- Pretoria News