The former boyfriend of Riana Pretorius, the Gqeberha biokineticist, who was kidnapped last year on March 16 outside her workplace in Newton Park, was grilled during cross-examination in the magistrate’s court today in the trial of her alleged kidnappers.
Xolisile Rawutini (40) and Xolani Kafile (40) face charges ranging from kidnapping, extortion, trafficking in persons and the unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition.
Pretorius, who was 26 at the time, was forced into a white Toyota Corolla and taken to several unknown locations over eight days. A ransom demand of R2 million was also made, of which about R1.1 million was paid. She was safely returned to her family on March 24. Within an hour of her kidnapping police found the Corolla in Deal Party, where Rawutini was arrested. Kafile was arrested in East London, after her release and police investigation.
Local businessman, Carel du Preez, Pretorius’ boyfriend at the time of the kidnapping, testified as a state witness in court proceedings yesterday and today. Du Preez is not an accused in the trial. During Du Preez’s testimony, Riana, whose family is with her at court, sat outside the courtroom with her parents Pieter and Rina. She is not allowed in the courtroom as she is set to testify in the trial.
Du Preez was in Johannesburg on the day of the kidnapping and testified that he returned to Gqeberha on the first available flight when he heard about the kidnapping.
During this morning’s proceedings, Du Preez was grilled during cross examination by Wayne Mac Gear, Kafile’s legal representative, about his business interests and break-up with Riana. He was asked about when he was sequestrated and whether he had financial problems in March 2023 at the time of the kidnapping. Du Preez said it can be interpreted as such.
He denied various allegations that was made in a media report about his business interests. Mac Gear asked Du Preez whether he knows the reason why his private business and financial problems were reported in a media report in the same context as Riana’s kidnapping. Du Preez answered, the newspaper is driven by sensation and will do anything to sell newspapers. Du Preez said there was a vendetta against him. He was phoned late at night for a comment and didn’t at first realise it was a reporter. “At that specific point in time I couldn’t care less about what anybody wrote. My concern was with Riana and her safe return,” Du Preez testified.
Du Preez said he knew Riana for three years and they were in a relationship for two years. Their relationship ended the day after her release. He saw her on the day after her release and said he didn’t see any physical injuries, but she was still in shock. He testified that she did not discuss the kidnapping with him. “At that point in time we were all still very happy that she was home safe and discussing details of the kidnapping was not the primary focus,” said Du Preez.
He testified that Riana broke up with him in person. He asked her why she broke up with him, and she said that they will discuss it later and at that specific point in time it was the best thing to do. Du Preez said he did contact her afterwards to discuss the break-up but until this point in time she hasn’t answered him as to why she broke up.
Du Preez testified that relationship with her parents Pieter and Rina Pretorius did not end when they broke up. Du Preez said he was still on good footing with her father. He said that he had never seen the two accused before and doesn’t know them.
He testified that if there was the slightest possibility that it was him behind the kidnapping he would not be testifying as a state witness but would be one of the accused. He also stated to magistrate Louis Claassen that he was never told or warned that he was a suspect in this case.
Mac Gear stated to Du Preez that he will argue when this case comes to an end that Du Preez had financial woes and that he had a motive to kidnap Riana. Du Preez replied that he needed to be exceptionally clear on this statement saying, “there is no amount of money that warrants putting someone you love or your loved ones through such an ordeal,” Du Preez testified.
After Du Preez’s testimony, Riana was set to be testifying. However, owing to time constraints and not enough time set out for the trial, magistrate Claassen, postponed the case to 4 November.
Benedict Wilson is the state prosecutor. Bond Nyoka is Rawutini’s legal representative and Wayne Mac Gear, Kafile’s legal representative. Lt Col Rhynhardt Swanepoel is the investigating officer and magistrate Louis Claassen presides over the case.
