Franziska was killed for creche fees: accused

Franziska Blöchliger was robbed, raped and murdered while jogging in Tokai Forest. Picture: Supplied

Franziska Blöchliger was robbed, raped and murdered while jogging in Tokai Forest. Picture: Supplied

Published Dec 7, 2016

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Cape Town – In a month where violence against women is in focus, four men were convicted by the Western Cape High Court of murdering Bongiwe Ninini, of Khayelitsha, while the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court heard chilling details about how Tokai teen Franziska Blöchliger was raped and murdered.

Accused number one in Blöchliger’s rape and murder trial, Howard Oliver, testified how he desperately needed money for school fees for his child, with the crèche threatening to throw his child out if he didn’t come up with the R200 he owed.“I submit that on the day in question I was told by my child’s crèche that I had to pay R200 towards arrears by the end of the day or I could not enrol my one child there any longer. I approached other people in the Westlake area to see if they could help me with a loan but was not successful,” Oliver said in an affidavit.

“At approximately 1pm the manager told me to either leave and sort out my personal issue or continue working. I then left De Kleine Constantia on foot,” he said.

Oliver said he took a shorter route home through Tokai Forest.

As he was walking he heard someone call out his name and recognised accused number three, Jonathan Jonas, and after he had established that Jonas would be unable to help him, he decided to rob someone. He said after looking around he saw something shiny flashing in the distance.

“I saw that a girl was jogging and the shiny flash was the sun reflecting on the screen of a cellphone strapped to the girl’s arm.

"I then decided to rob her of her cellphone and told Jakkals (Jonas) of my plans,” he said.

Oliver said after Blöchliger ran past him he followed her and grabbed her from behind and then took her cellphone.

He said at no point did he ask Jonas for help, but it was Jonas who took the watch and the girl's ring.

Jonas then took out a gun and ordered them to both sit down and told Blöchliger to undress, Oliver told the court.

“He pointed the gun at me and ordered me to take one of the girl's shoelaces and tie her hands.

"He then raped the girl and while doing so, he pushed her head into the sand,” he said. Oliver's bail application has been postponed until Friday.

His defence attorney Monique Carstens explained outside the court that they planned to call a witness.

She said during the adjournment her client received threats from Jonas, which is why they asked for a postponement.

On the other side of the city, a grandmother is in mourning after 23-year-old Thembeka Dumani was shot dead in Marikana informal settlement in Philippi East in the early hours of Tuesday. 

The body of 20-year-old Ninini was found in a drain in an open field opposite the Thembani shopping centre a few kilometres from her home in July last year. Phumlani Nyewu, Masithembe Solontsi, Melikhaya Mgushelo and Thabiso Balithoba were charged with her kidnapping and murder. On Tuesday they were found not guilty of kidnapping but were convicted of murder by the Western Cape High Court.

Cape Times

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