By St Francis Chronicle, 10 June
Tensions rose in the Humansdorp Regional Court yesterday in the Vanessa Van Rensburg murder case when the defence and the state sparred, leading the magistrate to order the defence to cease its line of questioning, resulting in an adjournment of proceedings.
Yesterday was the 10th day of this drawn-out bid for a bail application for Evans, who is accused of murdering 36 year-old Vanessa Van Rensburg, on Easter Sunday this year in Evans’ holiday home in the Eastern Cape village of Oyster Bay. This murder case, which first shocked and frightened Oyster Bay residents, now continues to shock the Eastern Cape.
Evan’s defence attorney, Paul Roelofse, continued his probing of investigating officer Warrant Officer Xolile Kato, sparking tension. Magistrate Deidre Dickson intervened, warning he was “leading the court into speculation” unsupported by evidence. She ordered him to focus on the state’s case, prompting Roelofse to request an adjournment after the heated exchange.
The attorney for Rob Evans, accused of murdering his girlfriend Vanessa van Rensburg on Easter Sunday this year, hit a snag on the 10th day of Evans’ bail application, when his lawyer argued with the magistrate in the Humansdorp Regional Court.
Evans, 58, faces charges of murder, attempted murder, kidnapping, and obstruction of justice for the April 20 death of Van Rensburg, 36, at his Oyster Bay holiday home, 16 km from St Francis. The State is opposing bail against Evans, who is currently being held in St Albans prison since his arrest on 9 May.
Yesterday, the seasoned SAPS detective investigating, officer Xolile Kato, gave reasons why the State is opposing bail against Evans, who is currently being held in St Albans prison since his arrest on 9 May. “He’s desperate not to be in custody,” Kato said, citing Evans’ R100,000 bail offer as a flight risk.
In an earlier court appearance, Kato responded to State prosecutor, Bianca Burger’s question why Evans should not be granted bail. Kato stated the State’s charges against Evans, charges of murder, attempted murder, kidnapping, and obstructing justice, were serious, and if convicted, Evans faced life imprisonment. Kato had said that with his millions of Rands in monthly earnings, Evans could do anything he wants, and so is considered a flight risk, and he should be kept in prison.
Yesterday, Advocate Paul Roelofse, who is leading Evans’ defence in court, however, intensely questioned the credibility of the investigation into Vanessa’s murder, leading to courtroom tensions.
Roelofse challenged Kato’s claim of no forced entry at the crime scene, questioning if an unchecked garage door could have enabled another person to enter the house. Kato admitted he hadn’t inspected the garage, but noted the interleading door was locked from within the house, making it unlikely an intruder would enter that way.
But Roelofse pressed further on the subject of the garage door. Magistrate Deidre Dickson intervened, warning he was “leading the court into speculation” unsupported by evidence. She ordered him to focus on the state’s case, prompting Roelofse to request an adjournment after the heated exchange.
Yesterday, Roelofse also disputed claims that Evans threatened state witness Ronel van Eyck, owner of Old Grey restaurant, at a Crusaders Rugby Club event. Kato conceded that Evans did not engage or threaten Van Eyck, and a prior verbal disagreement between the pair stemmed from lease disputes, not violence.
However, Magistrate Dickson called these claims by Roelofse’s claims as being “hearsay”, demanding statements for the next hearing. Roelofse said the statements would be supplied in the next court hearing, likely today.
Also yesterday, during his continued flight-risk argument for denying bail, Kato said Evans’ wealth and his R100,000 bail offer and serious charges, for which he would face two life sentences if found guilty, indicated a desperation to flee. Roelofse, however, countered that Evans, with no passport or overseas assets, had stayed in Gqeberha despite knowing a murder docket was opened on 21 April. He proposed house arrest with monitoring, emphasising Evans’ family and business ties.
In Kato’s earlier testimony in this same court, he described 23 wounds found on Vanessa’s body, plus the glass shards at the scene, and a broken whisky bottle found in an outside bin with its cap still tightly on, indicating a potential murder weapon.
St Francis Chronicle was the first news outlet to report Vanessa’s death on April 21, 2025, in Oyster Bay, 16 km from St Francis. This is a developing story.
The hearing is expected to continue today, on June 11. Follow @stfranchronicle for updates.
