‘She tried to make marriage work’
JAYDE Panayiotou was lonely and often waited up for husband Christopher to come home, the Port Elizabeth High Court heard yesterday.
Her friend and colleague Cherise Swanepoel was recalled as a witness on the fifth day of the murder trial of Panayiotou and his two co-accused, Sinethemba Nenembe and Zolani Sibeko.
Swanepoel was Jayde’s good friend and colleague at Riebeek College in nearby Uitenhage.
On the morning of her kidnapping, Jayde was waiting for Swanepoel to give her a lift to the school.
Swanepoel said she was aware of the state of the couple’s marriage as the two friends would talk about it.
“I think (Jayde) was frustrated and she was not 100 per- cent happy. She loved Chris very, very much. She voiced to me on a daily basis that she was very lonely. Chris didn’t make time for her and he was always working.”
Swanepoel said Jayde tried to address the problems in her marriage and made an effort to reach out to Christopher.
She said she would often hear telephonic conversations between the couple.
“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 added that the schoolteacher would at times try to wait up for Christopher and “she felt like he never saw her dressed up” and was “always working”.
Swanepoel said Jayde felt lonely every day while married to Christopher.
She 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.
It is alleged that Panayiotou paid Luthando Siyoni, a bouncer from his Infinity nightclub, to hire alleged triggerman Sizwe Vumazonke to kidnap and kill Jayde.
The State alleges that Nenembe assisted Vumazonke to kidnap and murder Jayde at the behest of her husband.
Siyoni has since turned State witness, while Vumazonke has died.
Panayiotou and his coaccused face charges of conspiracy to commit murder, murder, kidnapping, robbery with aggravating circumstances, and unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition.
The men have pleaded not guilty to all the charges against them.
Panayiotou, who was arrested shortly after his wife’s murder over a year ago, faces an additional charge of defeating the ends of justice. – ANA