5 surprising facts from the Panayiotou trial

As the Panayiotou trial continues, more and more surprising details around the murder of Jayde Panayiotou are emerging.

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Port Elizabeth businessman Christopher Panayiotou is on trial for the murder of his wife, Jayde. Last year the disappearance and susbsequent murder of the Eastern Cape school teacher sent shock waves through South Africa. When her husband was arrested, along with two alleged accomplices, the entire country was held spellbound by the unfolding drama.

As the trial continues, more and more surprising details around the murder of Jayde Panayiotou are emerging.

Here are 5 surprising facts from the trial thus far:

 

1. Defence advocate grilled disgruntled former employee

Defence Advocate Terry Price accused Mawonga Ndedwa, the 21st witness called by the State to testify in the ongoing trial against his ex-boss, of attempting to extort the Panayiotou family.

Ndedwa is embroiled in the case after he alleged that Panayiotou used his (Ndedwa's) personal cellphone to call Jayde's killer.

Price accused Ndedwa of trying to extort R150 000 from the Panayiotou family in exchange for the cell phone. He said that when the family did not budge, Ndedwa went to the police.

Price also argued that four people had access to the storeroom in which Ndedwa claimed to have discovered R30 000.

He claims that Panayiotou told him the R30 000 was for bouncer Luthando Siyoni, who allegedly found the hit-man who killed Jayde.

The defence questioned how he could pin the ownership of the R30 000 on his former boss.

“I can assure you that anyone who walked into that storeroom would of seen that money but I was the only one that day,” Ndedwa told Price. Price said his answers were “absolutely puerile” and false. He questioned how was it possible he admitted to stealing whisky but let “R30 000 survive”.

 

2. Jayde was feeling lonely

Jayde’s friend and colleague Cherise Swanepoel recalled that Jayde was feeling lonely in her relationship.

“She would call Christopher to ask if he would be home for dinner, she would find a reason to drop things off for him,” she said.

She also added that the school teacher would at times try and wait up for Christopher, “she felt like he never saw her dressed up” and was “always working”.

Swanepoel said that “Jayde’s loneliness” was a daily occurrence and also recalled a time she told Christopher that instead of buying a present for Jayde’s birthday he should rather spend time with her.

Swanepoel said that when she told Jayde about the conversation, she “burst into tears”.

 

3. A bank manager's mistake

A business manager from Nedbank appeared to be feeling the heat on Wednesday, after murder accused Christopher Panayiotou’s lawyers pushed her to confirm she had provided the businessman with confidential information on his wife’s bank account the day she went missing.

On several occasions Estelle Burger, disputed ever giving Panayiotou information arguing that she was not authorised to do so. Burger later conceded to the defence that she would “look into it” and try to establish the information the businessman needed.

It emerged that Burger had called the businessman six times on the day Jayde disappeared. A total of 14 calls were recorded between Burger and Panayiotou on April 21 last year.

 

4. How Jayde was killed

After being driven to a remote area on the outskirts of Kwanobuhle, the State alleges that Vumazonke fired two shots through Jayde's back and a final shot through her head.

 

5. Triggerman wanted a cleansing

A sangoma who is also the aunt of Jayde Panayiotou’s alleged triggerman, Sizwezakhe Vumazonke, on Monday told the Port Elizabeth High Court that she felt “unwell” and “shocked”, after her nephew visited her at her home in Kwanobuhle during April 2015.

Vumazonke has since died after a short illness while at custody at St Albans prison.

She said at about 7am she was in bed with her husband when they heard a knock on their bedroom door.

Zekani then went on to explain that Vumazonke had asked her to “wash him” but she declined upon hearing what he had told her.

“Because of shock I went to the kitchen to get water for myself,” said Zekani.

She said she then went outside the house and noticed a bag which contained a laptop and books. She said she asked Vumazonke questions about the bag but he put it on his shoulder and left.

According to the State, shortly after Vumazonke pulled the trigger he visited a sangoma (traditional healer) to be “cleansed”.

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