Bribe claim too low to be true - defence lawyer tells domestic worker
Image: Alaister Russell/The Sunday Times
The advocate of a man accused of repeatedly assaulting his former domestic worker claims he would have paid up to R10‚000 to shut her up and not the R200 she claims he gave her as a bribe.
"He is not a stupid man. He knows it would take more than R200 to keep you quiet‚" said Advocate Lize Nel‚ counsel for Kobus de Klerk.
"A bribe of R200‚ after you sustained severe injuries‚ would not have covered it up. He would have gone to draw between R5‚000 and R10‚000."
Siyamthanda Dube is alleging that her former employer De Klerk repeatedly beat her in front of her four-year-old daughter last year.
De Klerk assaulted her because she had taken her sick daughter to the clinic‚ Dube said.
De Klerk‚ 47‚ is on trial in the Randburg Magistrate's Court‚ where he faces a charge of assault for allegedly attacking Dube. He has pleaded not guilty to the charge.
Nel told Dube that De Klerk was a good man and that he had treated her and her children well while she was his employee.
"Why would he give your children presents for Christmas. Why would he help you prepare fried chicken for your prayer meeting? Mr De Klerk is a good man."
Nel had earlier told the court that if Dube had asked her former boss to assist her with her sick child‚ he would have come to her rescue.
The case continues.