Cops scour CCTV tape for Winelands murder clues

30 January 2015 - 02:27 By Shanaaz Eggington, Nashira Davids and Graeme Hosken
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SURVIVOR: Henri van Breda, 20, is living with relatives and receiving counselling
SURVIVOR: Henri van Breda, 20, is living with relatives and receiving counselling
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Police are examining CCTV footage recorded at the upmarket De Zalze Golf Estate, in Stellenbosch, following the brutal triple murder there earlier this week.

The chairman of the estate's homeowners' association, Eben Potgieter, said the police had been given footage recorded at about the time of the crime.

Martin and Teresa van Breda and their 22-year-old son, Rudi, were bludgeoned to death in their house on the estate.

Sixteen-year-old daughter Marli suffered head injuries and a jugular vein was severed.

She is in a critical but stable condition at a hospital in Somerset West.

Another son, Henri, 20, suffered only slight injuries and is living with relatives in Stellenbosch.

Reports emerged yesterday that the police had questioned security guards at the estate but Potgieter denied this.

"We have given all the footage from our perimeter security cameras to the police and are helping them in any way we can," he said.

"The [footage covers] all entrances to and exits from the estate, and includes [entry] card systems and biometrics systems," Potgieter said.

"Our guys [security workers] are not being questioned. They are working with the police to try to get to the bottom of this."

According to Potgieter, a police helicopter has been flying over the estate and the Van Bredas' house taking photographs.

"We are sending out a memo to all homeowners about increasing alertness but we believe there was no security breach along the 8km of electric fence on the estate.

"This was an isolated incident confined to the crime scene."

Potgieter said there was no record of the family receiving visitors preceding the attack.

He said that postmortems had begun yesterday.

Pretoria lawyer Don Bosman, who is acting as family spokesman, said no date had been set for funerals.

Sources close to the investigation said Henri was receiving counselling.

"All I can say is that Henri is doing okay under the circumstances. He is with family," Bosman said.

Karl Rademeyer, one of Van Breda's employees, said: "They were a close-knit family and Martin was a successful businessman who was involved with many charities."

He said the family had not left South Africa for Australia because they were worried about crime but to enable Martin van Breda to pursue business ventures.

He said the family had returned to South Africa temporarily so that 16-year-old Marli could finish high school here.

5FM reporter suspended for off-colour joke

Radio station 5FM has suspended Sol Phenduka for three days for joking about assault victim Marli van Breda on air yesterday.

The 16-year-old, who is fighting for her life after a brutal attack on her family at their luxury Stellenbosch home on Tuesday, was the subject of a satirical news snippet on the Fresh or Vrot slot at 7.45am.

Traffic reporter and contributor Phenduka referred to Van Breda as "fresh" because she was the only person who could identify her killer, before saying: "Wow, she's super hot . I just want to axe her out. I promise, Marli, I won't make you an ex."

Van Breda's parents and a brother were killed in the attack. Van Breda is in intensive care at a hospital in Somerset West.

Another brother, Henri, is living with an uncle.

It is believed the family was attacked with an axe.

Listeners took to social media to complain that the skit was "in poor taste".

Andre Lammers wrote: "What was your intention? Make a bad joke about a girl who lost her family? You should never be allowed back on air."

Faiser Gilchrist called Phenduka an "arrogant, unthinking hurtful boy".

"The country is reeling from this and more, and you think it's OK to joke? Disgusted," wrote Gilchrist.

5FM station manager Justine Cullinan said the feature on Fresh@5 was in "utterly poor taste" and apologised.

"The station has suspended two members of the team and has decided that this morning's broadcast of the Fresh or Vrot feature will be the team's last," 5FM said.

Phenduka refused to comment but admitted to being the author of the skit.

Gabi Mbele

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