'ET's kindness led to his death'

14 April 2010, 07:22

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By Angelique Serrao, Baldwin Ndaba and Botho Molosankwe

As Eugene Terre'Blanche's alleged killers are due to appear in court today, it has emerged that the AWB leader's decision to pay for his domestic worker's funeral could have led to his murder.

A week before he was bludgeoned to death, Terre'Blanche's domestic worker of 20 years died and he paid a sum of R7 000 to a local funeral parlour towards the burial of Rose Matheu.

Members of the AWB claim Matheu was killed because she had uncovered a plot to kill their leader, and they want her body exhumed.

But her family said she died of natural causes at Tshepong Hospital in Klerksdorp on March 29.

On the morning of Terre'Blanche's murder, his alleged killers had apparently gone to his Ventersdorp house demanding their wages.

Another employee, Thozamile Lephonda, 17, said he also went to the right-winger's house that morning.

"I met the two (alleged killers) there, who were also complaining about their wages. Terre'Blanche's wife told us that they paid for the funeral costs (of Matheu) and she asked me to return the next day for my pay," Thozamile said.

He said he heard about Terre'Blanche's death when he switched on his radio the next day.

Police are investigating whether Terre'Blanche's murder related to his non-payment of staff or his alleged sexual involvement with the accused, after a used condom was allegedly found at the scene.

Speaking to The Star yesterday, Thozamile said both he and the accused were upset that they hadn't been paid on time.

Gars Esterhuysen, from Doves funeral home in Ventersdorp, said yesterday that Matheu, 48, had been buried on April 8 and confirmed that Terre'Blanche had taken her family to the funeral home.

"Eugene was here with the family; he was helping them organise the funeral. If there was plot on his life, he would have known about it," Esterhuysen said.

Matheu was buried at Tshing Cemetery a day before her boss was buried on his farm.

Matheu's family said she spent her weekends drinking excessively, despite suffering from high blood pressure. At the time of her death, she was working at the house occupied by Terre'Blanche's estranged wife Martie in Roth Street in Ventersdorp.

Her sister, Susan Londt, told The Star the family had "received a report that the police found her lying on the ground a few streets away from the (Matheu) house".

While Rose's family said no post-mortem was done, they do not believe she was murdered because "she did not have a single wound on her".

Esterhuysen said Terre'Blanche had shown no racism when he sat at the home arranging the funeral.

"I saw the other side of Eugene that day. He sat together with the family, there was no racism, and he even offered the sister (Londt) a part-time job to help them through."

According to Tshepong Hospital communications manager Nico Masiu, Matheu suffered massive internal bleeding in her brain, which led to her death.

Masiu said the hospital had treated Matheu for six days after she had been brought to them for further treatment from Ventersdorp Hospital.

He said Matheu arrived at the hospital on March 23 and was in a coma for most of the time.

"Even if she had woken up, something she did for a short period of time, she would have suffered a stroke because alcohol was also a contributing factor to her health," he said.

"The CT scan report revealed significant subarachnoid haemorrhage (bleeding around the brain), and this bleeding extended into the brain," Masiu said.

Meanwhile, the Ventersdorp Magistrate's Court was today due to hear the media's arguments for access to the trial of the two people accused of killing Terre'Blanche before the actual murder case, a law firm said.

"We are bringing an application for authorisation in terms of the Child Justice Act for the public and media to attend the proceedings, not only for the bail application on Wednesday, but the entire trial," attorney Dario Milo, of Webber Wentzel, told Sapa yesterday.

The firm was acting on behalf of Independent Newspapers, Media 24 and the SA National Editors' Forum.

Milo emphasised that the identity of one of the accused, who is 15, would be protected at all times.

"However, the general principles of open justice demand that court proceedings be heard in public, and to exclude the media and public would be a disproportionate restriction on media freedom."

This article was originally published on page 1 of The Star on April 14, 2010

The Star

Comments by Sonny

Let's now hear the real reasons behind ET's violent murder!

So the youth has decided not to proceed with his bail application today.

Where is that illusive condom?