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Ex-wife of 'Modimolle Monster' tells of torture

WARNING: Offensive language and harrowing testimony

The former wife of “Modimolle monster” Johan Kotze on Tuesday told the High Court in Pretoria how Kotze tortured her while telling her he loved her.

Ina Bonette, who at times had to wipe away tears, described during cross-examination what she endured at Kotze’s hands and how his three co-accused raped her.

Kotze, Andries Sithole, Pieta Mohlane and Frans Mphaka are accused of murdering Kotze’s 19-year-old stepson Conrad Bonette on January 3 this year. They are also accused of kidnapping, repeatedly raping, sexually assaulting, and attempting to murder Ina Bonette.

A plea of not guilty was entered after Kotze refused to plead.

His co-accused all denied guilt, claiming Kotze had forced them to take part.

Bonette said she left Kotze in 2011, but twice visited his house in Modimolle to fetch her belongings. She went to his house again on January 3 after he phoned and said there was still a box with her things.

After giving her a glass of water and talking to her outside, he told her to go in.

When she walked into the darkened room, Kotze pulled a towel over her head and threw her onto the bed.

When she saw there were three black men in the room she tried to get up and started kicking and screaming. Kotze sat on her and shouted for two of the men to help him.

They tied Bonette’s hands to ropes already fastened to the window and bed.

Her mouth was taped shut so tightly she could hardly breathe.

“He kept on throwing insults. He said today you’re going to feel what its like to be fucked by k****rs.

“He said he had to sell his farm in Bloemfontein for a whore.

“He said I, my father and Conrad had belittled him. The more I shook my head to show that it was not true the more he assaulted me.” 

Sithole helped Kotze remove her pants. Kotze started hitting, punching and pinching her.

“The three others were there the whole time and I begged them with my eyes to help me,” she said.

Bonette described in detail how Kotze returned to a cupboard several times for objects to torture her.

“At one stage he took pliers out of his pocket and twisted my nipple. I had implants in my breasts but it was very, very bad. It was unbearable,” she said.

Kotze tortured her further with pliers and a long silver object, cut off her other nipple, pushed a rifle against her head and threatened to shoot her.

Bonette said the other three accused took turns to rape her after Kotze told them they could now feel what it was like to have sex with a white woman.

“Then he came to lie next to me and told me over and over how much he loved me and how I had ruined his life.

“He pushed the firearm against my head and said when my child arrived he was going to bring him into the room and force him to have sex with me.

“If that did not work, he would shoot him.” 

After Kotze told the others to leave and dressed Bonette, she heard her son’s motorbike.

“...I heard him walking down the passage. Then I heard my child saying 'No uncle, please don't', and then a shot. Then again 'No uncle, please don't' and a shot, and another shot.” 

After it was quiet for a long time, someone came to free Bonette and she found her son dead in the next room.

“I called out Boeta, Boeta, but he did not react... I saw a bullet wound on his knee and in front on his shirt... I realised Conrad was dead and I jumped up and screamed we have to get out of here.

“If Kotze comes back, he will kill all of us.

“I was so confused .... I just kept on shouting we must get out.” 

Bonette afterwards spent almost eight days in hospital, had to undergo a number of operations and was given antiretroviral medication.

Cross-examination could not continue because she fell ill.  The matter was postponed to Wednesday.

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