Krugersdorp killings: Murder accused claimed to be the 'bride of Satan'

Murder accused Cecilia Steyn convinced people around her that she was the most powerful witch in the world – the bride of Satan.

Candice Rijavic, her former friend, made this and other startling claims in her testimony at the South Gauteng High Court on Monday during the "Krugersdorp murders" trial.

Steyn, Zak Valentine and Marcel Steyn allegedly killed 11 people from 2012 to 2016 in an alleged crime spree featuring robbery‚ aggravated assault‚ racketeering‚ possession of an unlicensed firearm‚ fraud and identity theft. They have pleaded not guilty.

High school teacher Marinda Steyn‚ mother of Marcel‚ was in May sentenced to 11 life terms for the Krugersdorp killings.

Rijavic said she met Cecilia Steyn in 2008 and they became inseparable best friends. "I heard endless stories about her background. She said her birth was prophesied many years ago," said Rijavic.

Cecilia claimed to have been subjected to ritual abuse by her family, had become part of the occult and had supernatural powers.

"She said she was the most powerful witch on the planet, that she could astral travel, disappear and reappear.

"She said she could do things to people without touching them, she was known to be 'the bride of Satan' and she went through training and she met Satan," Rijavic told the court.

Cecilia had claimed that her spirit could leave her body. "She was known to travel to the moon. There were no limitations to where she could go."

Cecilia, the court heard, also had multiple personalities, the ability to turn into a baby or a wolf and could hold her breath under water for an hour.

Rijavic testified that Cecilia controlled her life. She was forced to wear the same clothes as Cecilia. If she wore something different, she was forced to change. "She controlled and stole my identity to merge our personalities. I had to look exactly like her. I became attached to her. I had undying loyalty and trust in her."

She described Cecilia as a "master" manipulator who lied about her health and claimed she was dying. "I gave her money every day to buy medication. I found out later that she was perfectly healthy."

Rijavic said she had spent thousands on Cecilia and once gave her R100,000. "All the money she claimed was for medication, she spent it on motorcycles and drinking."

Cecilia, she said, had made friends believe that she needed constant watching because she was dying. "I believed her story and I did not want anyone to hurt her."

Cecilia claimed to have had spiritual and physical attacks. She would vomit blood and convulse when she got the attacks.

Rijavic said Cecilia had made people believe that she was actually vomiting blood when in reality she had put small "balls of blood" in her mouth and was just acting. "She would drive to a place where there is no one, draw blood from herself using a syringe, take the blood and put it in cut plastic gloves. She would put the small balls in her mouth and fake a convulsion."

Cecilia had also claimed to be a vampire confined to certain areas. "She had boundaries on where she could go. We once drove beyond her boundaries and she faked an sms from her father saying he was aware of what she did.

"She fooled people into believing that she could change [into someone or something] and she could mind read."

Rijavic said Cecilia watched "exceptionally disturbing" satanic movies.

Cecilia hooked her friends up with "boyfriends" who they never met as they  communicated only via text messages. "She hooked me up with Wesley. We would only text." She and "Wesley" dated for three years but never met in person, the court heard.

Cecilia, according to Rijavic, later claimed to have left satanism and converted to Christianity. Yet she still performed satanic rituals.

The trial continues.