KARIEGA – The 36-year marriage between farmer Gideon van Eck and his wife, Natasha, was again placed under the spotlight in the Kariega Regional Court on Tuesday.
Natasha van Eck (57) is accused of murdering Gideon (60), whom she allegedly shot on their farm in November 2022. She told the court that she acted in self-defence.
Continuing her evidence under cross-examination by the State, van Eck described alleged conflict in their marriage and disputes involving family members.
It was the second day of the State’s cross-examination into evidence she had submitted to the court on 9 September.
She was also cross-examined about her alleged affair with Gideon’s brother-in-law, Mike Posthumus.
Alleged affair with Mike Posthumus
The court heard that Posthumus, Gideon’s brother-in-law, allegedly had an affair with van Eck. She said she developed feelings for Posthumus and told him that she would divorce Gideon to be in a relationship with Posthumus.
The deceased reportedly arranged a gathering with Mike, Emmerentia and the accused. Van Eck said the purpose of the gathering was for Gideon to establish how far the relationship between her and Mike had gone.
The accused explained in court that she developed feelings towards Mike and that she and Mike shared a kiss. The State prosecutor, however, put it to her that Mike described her as crazy and denied everything, including the alleged kiss.
Protection orders, repeated reconciliation
The State prosecutor asked van Eck whether her husband loved her. She replied, “I did not feel his love.”
She said Gideon did not care for her, alleging, “He wrote a swear word with toothpaste on my bed, cut my slippers and used a crowbar to force my locked bedroom door open.”
Van Eck further alleged that Gideon told her that workers must rape her.
The court heard that the accused reportedly opened three protection orders against the deceased and also filed for divorce on two occasions. The protection orders were opened in 1997, 2019 and 2021, while she filed for divorce in 1997 and 2021.
On 14 February 2019, the interim protection order was set aside and both the deceased and the widow decided to try to mend their relationship.
In 2021, she again attempted to divorce the deceased. On 13 December 2021, an interim protection order filed by the accused against the deceased was granted.
Each time, the couple would get back together. Natasha mentioned that she wanted to divorce Gideon, but both she and Gideon went to ask for the divorce matter to be brought forward. They reconciled and the divorce was set aside once again.
She claimed that she had no money, no job and nowhere to go after they separated, prompting both to resolve their issues and reconcile. It was a cycle she allegedly could not break — protection orders, divorce filings, reconciliations — stretching across more than two decades.
Conflict over Gideon Junior
Natasha stated in court that Gideon Junior (31), who was diagnosed with schizophrenia, was and still is a complicated child.
She said Junior’s circumstances caused problems between her and Gideon and that she was still emotionally affected by this.
However, the accused would deliberately send her son to the deceased to ask for cigarettes, despite knowing that the deceased did not like Junior’s excessive smoking, which allegedly caused sores on his lips.
The court heard a transcription of a voice note between the deceased and his sister, Emmerentia, in which the deceased said that on one occasion, “Nou sit sy aartappel slaai op, stuur junior vir cigarettes.”
The accused allegedly sent Junior to the deceased (his father) for cigarettes. Additionally, the accused admitted in court that she also gave Junior cigarettes after the deceased had passed away, which intensified conflict between Gideon and Natasha.
Also, the accused mentioned in court that from an outsider’s point of view, one would argue that the deceased is portrayed as a loving father who cares for his son. The accused claimed: “He did not care about Junior’s health.”
When the State asked whether the deceased’s concern for Junior, shown by his preventing Junior from smoking, was a way of showing that he cared, the accused told the court that the deceased only wanted Junior to stop as a way to exercise control over him.
Missing grandchildren, disputes over farm
It was stated in court that the deceased missed his grandchildren and wanted to see them. The deceased mentioned to Emmerentia that he had the right to see the grandchildren.
Emmerentia said, “Not very happy myself, but what can I do?” However, the accused said in court that the deceased never mentioned to her that he missed the grandchildren. Instead, the accused claimed that the deceased asked them multiple times to leave the farm.
The prosecutor asked the accused whether the deceased had asked her to make contact with Nadine. On 11 April 2022, it is alleged that the deceased said, “Rowwe kort week, met Natasha en myself, vreeslik om die dinge deur te gaan.” The deceased explained that it was difficult for him to go through this.
The matter was postponed until 8 to 12 February 2027 for the final continuation of the cross-examination. The accused is out on warning.
