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Zurenah Smit, charged with the murder of her husband, wine producer Stefan, read Islamic scriptures while waiting for the proceedings against her to begin Tuesday.
Dressed in traditional black Muslim garb, the little widow had a diminutive figure as she stood on the dock of the Stellenbosch Magistrates Court clutching a spectacle case.
Magistrate Alaric Amos postponed the case against her until Thursday to request bail.
Smit, who married the vintner in 2005, faces charges of murder, home burglary, illegal possession of firearms and ammunition, as well as assault with the intent to inflict serious bodily harm.
He turned himself in to police on Monday, four days after his two co-defendants, Derek Sait and Steven Damon, were arrested on the same charges. The police had come looking for her earlier that day, but managed to evade arrest.
ALSO READ: Two Suspects Linked to Murder of Stellenbosch Wine Farmer Arrested, Woman on the Run
Sait, a former police officer, was one of the couple’s bodyguards. Damon is his brother-in-law.
The security equipment had been employed by the couple after the 2018 occupation of Watergang, alongside Louiesenhof, which is owned by the Smit family through a trust. Watergang was occupied by backwards from nearby Kayamandi who renamed it Azania. Following a ban request to remove them, the municipality finally bought the land from the owners for R45 710,000.
Despite tight security, including a double fence system, an electric fence and barbed wire, on June 2, 2019, four armed suspects entered Louiesenhof through a keyless door while the Smits were having dinner with a friend .
Smit, 62, had been shot and killed in the apparent burglary of the home during which two cell phones and a purse were stolen.
Zurenah and the guest had escaped unharmed, while Smit was shot several times in the head and upper body.
It was reported that her husband had changed his will in December 2018 and that Zurenah had not inherited anything except the right of residence in a Stellenbosch retirement village.
It is understood that Smit will be held at Pollsmoor until his next appearance.
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