Durban - It has been four weeks since convicted murderer Hardus Lotter was released from Sevontein Prison, outside Pietermaritzburg, and he just wants to move on and be rehabilitated into society again.
This was according to Pastor Danny Israel, who has been working with Lotter since his arrest in 2008.
“He has been released on parole and is under house arrest. I wouldn’t say he’s been making progress in leaps and bounds, but it is progress nonetheless. We’ve been embarking on a rehabilitation process into the general community.”
Lotter, now 29, his sister, Nicolette, and her then boyfriend, Mathew Naidoo, were convicted for the murder of the siblings’ parents, Johan and Riekie Lotter, at their Westville home in 2008.
The case made national headlines as gruesome details of the attack were revealed in the trial. At the time, the siblings said Naidoo had masterminded the double murder. Claims of witchcraft arose as they said Naidoo claimed to be the “third son of God” and had ordered their parents’ deaths.
Riekie Lotter had been held down, stabbed repeatedly and then strangled. Johan Lotter was strangled in his sleep.
Hardus’s release comes after serving six years of his 10-year sentence. Nicolette was sentenced to 12 years’ imprisonment. Naidoo was handed a life sentence.
“Hardus is working hard on his rehabilitation, although he has no intention of going back to Westville. We are now working on helping him set up a computer repair business so that he can become self-sufficient,” said Israel.
He said the siblings were still in contact. “I wouldn’t say their relationship is as good as it was, but it is fairly good. They remained in contact with each other throughout everything.”
He said Nicolette has to serve another two years of her sentence before being considered for release.
“She is doing exceptionally well, teaching drama and music at the prison. When she started settling down and accepting everything that had happened, she was able to contribute through teaching drama and music,” he said.
Nicolette has completed a number of courses while in prison, including one in drama and performance studies, and theology.
The Daily News visited the last known address of Naidoo’s mother, Rita, in Phoenix yesterday, to be told that she had moved some time ago.
“She still keeps in contact with Mathew; he calls her often from Kokstad prison. The last I’d heard, she had visited him last year,” said a woman who declined to be named.
Vijay Sivakumoor, Naidoo’s then legal representative, said after the judgment they had filed a notice to appeal against the sentence, which was turned down.
The next step would have been to file an appeal with the Supreme Court, but Sivakumoor said he had already left the Legal Aid service by then and had handed over Naidoo’s case. He was not certain if Naidoo had opted to follow through with the appeal.