Killer tells of final hours

2004-06-03 23:36

Pretoria - William Kekana, 19, testified in Temba Circuit Court on Thursday about his involvement in the abduction, murder and rape of a Pretoria family last year.

In the witness box, Kekana described the final hours of Hester Rawstone, 52, her granddaughter Kayla, the rape and murder of Kayla's mother, Janine Drennen, and the rape and attempted murder of a 17-year-old girl who was abducted in Stinkwater.

This was so Kekana "would not stand and watch as Fido raped the white woman".

Kekana is standing trial on 14 counts including murder, rape and kidnapping,

A packed court listened as Kekana detailed the events of July 31 2003.

"If memory serves me correctly I fired two shots into her face," Kekana told the court of his attempt to kill the 17-year-old after he raped her.

They had to change their plans

He said he did not see the now-dead Charles Fido Baloyi kill Janine or Kayla because he was "still raping" the 17-year-old at the back of the car.

He said they were to drive the car to a pre-arranged place, but because Hester had answered her phone and told the other person to call the police, they had to change their plans.

Hebron Road, north of Pretoria, became a murder scene with Rawstone the first to die.

"Fido then produced the firearm and shot the madam (Hester) in the neck," he said.

Rawstone was thrown out of the car. Kekana said he suggested leaving Kayla and the white woman at some nearby shacks, but Baloyi refused.

"We had an argument. He told me I would die like the old lady. I was sitting in the front seat by that stage and he shot me in the knee. Well, I was rendered powerless so much I could not shoot him back," he testified.

Kekana said they then drove to Soshanguve to pick up the keys of Baloyi's bakkie.

"I asked him where we were taking the lady and the baby and he told me he had never raped a white woman in his life before. I told him he would do it alone."

No 'sharing'

He described how they then headed for Stinkwater and in town saw the 17-year-old and her boyfriend.

"Fido said we were not going to share the white lady. I said I was not interested, he would do it alone," he said.

But Baloyi allegedly told him he best take the "lady up front (ahead of them on the road)." After her abduction, Baloyi and Kekana drove to an open field and ordered the woman out of the car.

He said he took the black woman to the boot and raped her while Baloyi raped Janine on the front seat.

"I heard shots fired in succession. I then completed my raping and put on my trousers." He said it was then that he saw the white woman and baby on the ground.

In differing testimony, the 17-year-old girl had testified on Wednesday that Baloyi had shot Kayla in the face after both women had been raped twice.

She said Kekana ordered her to lie on the ground on her back. She said Kekana then shot her in the head.

- SAPA