The courtroom walls of the Palm Ridge Magistrate’s Court reverberated with the chilling details of Freddie Stapelberg‘s alleged motive in the brutal murders of Nadine Terblanche and her nine-year-old son, Ruandré Vorster.
Here’s why Freddie Stapelberg allegedly murdered Nadine Terblanche and her son
According to the prosecution, Stapelberg, a 34-year-old entangled in a web of love and deceit, plotted the demise of his lover and her son to cash in on Terblanche’s funeral policies and life cover.
This revelation sent shockwaves through the courtroom as spectators listened to the grim strategy Stapelberg purportedly employed to enrich himself through death.
The plot thickens with the involvement of Pardon Danhire, a Zimbabwean gardener with years of service under Terblanche, who found himself embroiled in a deadly scheme.
Danhire, accused of executing the harrowing act for an R100 000 reward, stands as a pivotal figure in the state’s case against Stapelberg.
His arrest on the night of the murders was a shock to a close family member who spoke to Swisher Post in confidence.
Even before the shocking revelation of Stapelberg’s alleged involvement in the Langenhoven Street double murder surfaced, the insider was adamant that Danhire, if guilty, would not have acted on his own accord.
At the time, rumours were fluttering about, suggesting Danhire had viciously gutted Nadine and her nine-year-old son over payment disparities.
“I know for a fact that’s not true. They had no problem with money. They had no problem with paying their people. They never had a problem with any of that. Like I said, I know that this guy (the gardener) has been with them for years. So, it’s not that they didn’t pay him. If it was him, there must’ve been another reason, but financial, definitely not,” the source said at the time.
Danhire’s tune changed shortly after his arrest and very quickly, police turned to Stapelberg as the alleged mastermind accused of planning his partner’s death.
On Wednesday, however, state prosecutors presented a case that cast the gardener as both a suspect and an alleged pawn in Stapelberg’s deadly game.
Stapelberg’s estranged wife speaks out
Natasha Stapelberg, Freddie’s estranged wife and the mother of his three daughters, provided a heart-wrenching perspective on the ordeal.
Her statement to the Alberton Record not only highlighted the personal toll of Freddie’s actions but also her unwavering resolve in the face of adversity.
Natasha, who moved to Cape Town after separating from Stapelberg in 2021, recently returned to Alberton to take care of their three children.
“I don’t know what to do now or how I’m going to look after them, but I am not going to give up. My children are already suffering. I just want to put it out there that the only reason why I am back in Alberton is for my children and my main priority is them,” she said.
As the case unfolds, the community watches with bated breath ahead of Stapelberg’s next court appearance later this month.