The wife of the late owner of the Pofadder Hotel, who was found murdered in his swimming pool in October last year, is accused of being the mastermind behind his death.
Suretha Brits was arrested in Kakamas in the Northern Cape , five months after her late husband Leon Brits was murdered, News 24 reports .
Brits sustained several stab wounds, while valuables including firearms, a cell phone, Krugerrand coins, polished diamonds, and cash were taken from the premises at the time of the incident.
Her arrest took place after one of the three men who were arrested in connection with the murder and robbery, Jacques van Vuuren, entered into a plea agreement.
According to Rapport, Suretha Brits allegedly pestered Van Vuuren and offered him R40 000 to do her “dirty work”.
It is alleged that she had indicated that she would pay him R200 000 upfront and the balance after the murder was committed.
IOL reports that Van Vuuren pleaded guilty to stealing a 223 rifle, a Glock pistol, a Star pistol, and cash and confessed that he and his co-perpetrators had inflicted grievous bodily harm on the deceased with the use of dangerous weapons.
The plea agreement indicated that it was not easy to murder him and the deceased had fought back during the attack, where he was assaulted with a baseball bat, strangled with a dog chain, and thrown into the swimming pool.
Van Vuuren was sentenced in the Northern Cape High Court on March 25 to an effective 20 years’ imprisonment on charges of murder, aggravated robbery, and the unlawful possession of a firearm.
Times Live reports that the accused will remain in custody after making a brief appearance in the Pofadder Magistrate’s court on Wednesday.