One of the women arrested in connection with the chilling murder of Gqeberha businessman Danie de Jager, in what is now suspected to have been a staged home robbery, is known to the family.
The 57-year-old woman was arrested hours after the attack alongside two other suspects — a 36-year-old woman and a man, also 36.
De Jager, 65, was stabbed to death in what was described at the time as a deadly home invasion in Mangold Street, Newton Park.
His 57-year-old partner had told the police that she was awoken early on Thursday last week by a noise in the house.
When she went to investigate, she said she was confronted by four unknown men who gagged her, tied her wrists with cable ties and placed a pillowcase over her head.
After ransacking the house, the suspects left in her partner’s vehicle, and she managed to untie herself, the woman said.
She said that was when she found De Jager to be unresponsive. He was declared dead at the scene.
His vehicle, a Nissan Juke, was later found abandoned in Westbourne Road, Central, and only a laptop was stolen.
Police said at the time that it was not clear how the suspects had gained entry to the property.
His partner sustained minor injuries and was treated at the scene.
Police spokesperson Captain Sandra Janse van Rensburg said on Friday that three suspects had been arrested and would appear in the Gqeberha magistrate’s court on Monday in connection with a charge of murder.
“SAPS Mount Road detectives left no stone unturned after the murder of a 65-year-old man in Newton Park,” she said.
“Through proper investigation, police arrested two females, aged 36 and 57 years, and a 36-year-old male within hours after the murder case was reported to the police.”
In a brief statement, De Jager’s daughter, Chandré Cloete-Coetzee, speaking on behalf of the family, said they were still struggling to process the loss of her dad.
“As a family, we are still in shock and grieving deeply,” she said.
“We will not be making any comments on the pending court case and believe it is important to allow the judicial process to reveal the truth.
“At this early stage, we will not speculate about those responsible for the tragic murder of our father and brother until all the facts are known.”
Nelson Mandela Bay district police commissioner Major-General Vuyisile Ncata commended the detectives involved in the investigation for their swift action, saying the prompt arrests were as a result of their commitment and teamwork.
De Jager was the owner of Siyalungisa Manufacturing in Sidwell, which specialises in custom-made air-conditioning and ventilation systems.
He also owned Siyalungisa Engineering and Construction.
The Herald
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