Farmer’s wife in dock for his murder

Published Feb 3, 2015

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Kimberley - Reports that a Britstown millionaire goat farmer abused his wife and children have emerged in the Northern Cape High Court where his wife is on trial for his murder.

Sixty-year-old Nico Botha was found dead on his bed in July 2010 with two gunshots to the head, in what was reported at the time to be a suicide.

Botha’s widow, Gloudina Botha, was later charged with the murder of her husband, who owned the farm Kareehoek.

Botha’s son, Pieter van Zyl, who appeared as a witness in the ongoing case on Monday, testified in court that his father hit and manhandled his mother for years and they were unable to confront him about his actions. “No one could stand up to Nico … no one, not even his own family,” he said.

Gloudina kept wiping tears from her eyes as she listened to her son describe the abuse they endured at the hands of her late husband.

Van Zyl said his father spoke about killing himself after his brother Philip left home.

“Philip was the Botha-son. My father raised him so that he would one day take over the business. My father, on more than one occasion, said that he would kill himself if his son did not come home.”

Van Zyl also said that his father tried repeatedly to get Philip back and even sent his mother and sister to “talk sense into his head”.

Van Zyl said that on the day of his father’s death, he was on his farm, Mienieskloof, when his wife got a call from his sister to say that their father had shot himself.

“I got into my bakkie and drove to the farm with one of my employees. It takes about an hour to get to the farm. When I arrived, I went to my mother, who was in the living room. She was very emotional and we hugged each other. She told me that she had tried to stop my father from killing himself but added that I knew how he was. I then ran upstairs to the bedroom where I saw him lying on the bed and then went back downstairs again,” he said.

Van Zyl said he then went to look for his sister.

“My sister was sitting and crying on the step at the old farmhouse, with her head on her arms. She got up and we hugged each other. She told me that she and my dad had a fight the previous night and that she did not say goodnight to him.”

Van Zyl added that Nico’s cousin, Piet Botha, said when he arrived at the farm after the incident that he always knew something like this would happen.

During a previous court appearance, it was stated that Nico had left R4 million in cash, his furniture, personal belongings and car to his wife.

John Swiegers, his accountant and financial advisor, testified previously that Nico had signed his will a month before his death.

The rest of his estate was placed in a trust and the trustees were his wife and Riaan Botha, a cousin who lives in the Western Cape. The two trustees were given “wide powers” to manage the estate.

His body was exhumed in March last year after a successful application by the State to re-examine his remains.

The pathologist, Dr Denise Lourens, however, testified at the time that she and other experts who examined the skull were unable to state whether the cause of the death was murder or suicide.

During the lengthy trial, the State originally closed its case and the defence applied unsuccessfully for the matter to be set aside.

After the original prosecuting team was replaced, the new team applied for the case to be reopened and a warrant was obtained to exhume Botha’s body.

The case continues in the Northern Cape High Court on Tuesday.

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