Cape Town - Details of how the widow of SANDF member Preston Titus allegedly orchestrated her husband’s murder have emerged in a plea by one of those accused of involvement in the murder.
Titus was stabbed to death in what was initially thought to have been a break-in at
his military-owned home in Oudtshoorn on December 1.
His widow Magdalene Titus, 41, a prominent ANC councillor, and Natasha Stuurman, 37, appeared in the
Oudtshoorn Regional Court on Monday, facing a murder charge.
Their appearance came after another accused, Sixabiso Klip, 23, was sentenced on Friday to 15 years’ imprisonment and two years for possession of a dangerous weapon. Klip had entered into a plea bargain with the State.
In his affidavit, Klip admitted that over the period of December 1 and 2, he, along with two others, killed Titus by stabbing him with knives and hitting him with a hammer.
He stated that at the behest of Titus’s widow, they and another person, Masimthembe January, went to Port Elizabeth.
There they met with Justice Mooi. Magdalene had told Klip that she had asked Mooi to kill her husband.
She had offered Mooi and another man R30000 each, and after he told her of his reservations, she offered him the same amount and more, said Klip.
He said the two men were asked why they arrived without guns after being paid.
They replied that they were unable to get guns, according to Klip.
They had instructed the widow to use sleeping tablets in Titus’s food, said Klip.
Magdalene, according to Klip, told them she would leave the back door open and they would find her husband asleep in their room.
Magdalene would leave her
phone, laptop, tablets and R3500 in a bag to give the impression of a robbery, said Klip.
He waited in the car while Mooi and the other man entered the house, and afterwards drove them to a guest house in George.
National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila said arrest warrants were issued on Friday for Magdalene, Stuurman and January.
“Titus (Magdalene) and Stuurman were arrested and added as co-accused of Mooi. Police are still looking for January, who facilitated the meeting between Titus and Mooi in PE.
“Police are also looking for the second man who travelled from PE to Oudtshoorn to carry out the murder of Preston Titus. For now he is only known as Vusumzi,” Ntabazalila said.
Magdalene has appointed a legal representative and will apply for a bail application on January 29. Stuurman has not appointed a legal representative or applied for bail.