Rumours rife after teacher’s death .
Rumours around a deadly fire have gripped a Boland town – and this couple are caught in the middle
THE harrowing circumstances of their death made headlines – a seemingly perfect young couple burnt along with their beloved dog in their farmhouse in the middle of the night. At first it seemed little more than a terrible tragedy. But since the death of Jacques van Dyk (30), a farm manager, and Sunita (31), his teacher wife, in the Boland town of Wellington on 10 May there have been more questions than answers – not only about the fire but also about the events in the weeks leading up to the fire.
Family, friends, colleagues and parents at Paarl Gymnasium Primary School where Sunita taught have been rocked by one revelation after another. There are the rumours of an affair between the dead woman and the school headmaster, Danie le Roux (YOU, 1 June), the results of the autopsy that showed Sunita had wounds on her neck that could have been caused by strangulation, the claims that Danie’s wife, Eloise, was obsessed with Sunita . . .
It’s a bulging can of worms that’s turned the Boland region upside down and made the Le Rouxs the talk of the town.
In a letter found in the rubble of the destroyed farmhouse, Eloise (36) writes to the Sunita. “There is not enough room on any page or card to write down the extent of my love for you.”
The death of the Van Dyks “is all people in Wellington and Paarl are talking about now,” says Peter Jordan*, a longtime family friend of Sunita. “Whether you’re at a braai, a function or a coffee shop, everyone’s talking about it because nothing makes sense.”
After the fire it was alleged Sunita had been having an affair with Danie (44) but had ended it in February.
“Shortly after Sunita started teaching at Paarl Gymnasium her dad, Rassie Marais, died unexpectedly,” Peter says. “Her dad was her everything. I think Danie saw she was suffering.”
IN A letter seen by YOU, Eloise writes: “My dearest friend – letter 99, hahaha, probably another 999999 to come. Today exactly two months ago you fell into my life. I call it literally falling in because that’s exactly what it feels like to me. Feels as if you fell from heaven JUST for me!!!
“Although it’s only been two months since we first spent time together it feels like I’ve known you my whole life. I can say in all earnestness that it’s been my most wonderful two months ever. As I’ve told you a million times before I’ve desired (LITERALLY desired) a sister/friend my whole life . . . and THEN came Sunita van Dyk. You are my biggest dream, dearest Sunita! May our friendship grow and grow and grow – like all the flowers you give me. Looooooots of love, Eloise.”
In another letter she writes that she’s “green with envy” because Sunita would be spending the weekend camping with other women. Who would bring her her “pill”, Eloise asks. Medication – including a type of tranquilliser – was found in the ruins of the farmhouse and feature in the police investigation, News24 reports.
A friend of Eloise maintains Eloise was “completely obsessed” with Sunita. “If Sunita didn’t pay her enough attention, she’d get emotional. She wanted to be with her constantly and was always sending Sunita messages.”
But in an exclusive interview in his headmaster’s office, Danie and his wife deny anything untoward was going on with the young woman.
“We’ve had to hear that Danie had an affair, that I was obsessed – even in love – with her and some people are even implicating me in their deaths,” Eloise says.
The couple can’t go to a restaurant or to church with their son (11) and daughter (8) without being stared at.
Yes, he has regrets, Danie adds: he and his wife crossed professional boundaries and became friends with one of his staff members and her husband. They took pity on Sunita after her dad’s death because she was having a tough time. But that was all, he says.
“I believe my wife and I shouldn’t have become friends with one of my teachers. We made the mistake of our lives.”
Eloise says she and Sunita “became like sisters” and the letters she wrote to the younger woman are typical of how she writes to all her friends. “Anybody who knows me will know that’s how I speak to my friends. I tell them I love them, that I appreciate them.” She picks up one of the letters. “I understand to a degree why they’d think I was obsessed with Sunita but it’s absolutely not true.”
THE two couples often spent time at each other’s homes, braaiing and watching sport or playing board games. They also went away for weekends sometimes, taking the Le Rouxs’ kids with them. “We were just really close,” Eloise says. “Almost soulmates.”
Sunita was on “quite a bit of medication” including sleeping tablets and antidepressant and anti-anxiety drugs. “Sometimes Sunita overstayed her welcome at our house. My mom was visiting once and asked Sunita if she shouldn’t go home to her husband.”
She claims Sunita told her she and Jacques were having marital problems and she didn’t want to stay married to him.
In February, Danie noticed Sunita was acting differently to him. “It was as if she wanted more attention from me,” he says. “I suspected she was having feelings for me and some of the teachers also told me she was behaving unprofessionally.
“I said to Eloise it made me uncomfortable that Sunita was at our house so often and I didn’t believe the friendship was good for Eloise.” But she couldn’t turn her back on her, Eloise says. “Yes, Sunita was a bit much at times but I couldn’t push her away. I was afraid she’d do something.”
The minister at their church told them about the fire. “I burst into tears,” Eloise recalls. “I couldn’t believe it.”
Eloise went to the farmhouse immediately. According to reports she visited the house four times on her own that day, tried to break open Sunita’s car and removed her jewellery, cellphone and laptop from the scene.
Not true, Eloise says. “I visited the house three times and each time I was with someone. The first time was just after the minister called me and I went with a friend. The bodies had already been removed and the police were on the scene and asked for Sunita’s ID so they could identify the body. We noticed her handbag was in the car so we called a locksmith to open it.
“The second time was with Sunita’s mom – she wanted to get her husband’s ashes that were locked in a safe in the house. When I went back the third time the farm manager wouldn’t let me in so I left.”
What do the Le Rouxs think happened on the night of the fire? “Jacques was a good guy – I don’t think he would have hurt Sunita,” says Danie, referring to the marks allegedly found on her neck.
“I think a fire started in the house – via the fireplace, as the investigation has found. I think they woke up and Jacques saw Sunita was hurt – she’d been burnt or something – and he put her in the bath and opened the tap. They were overcome by smoke, it all just happened too fast.”
Danie and Eloise believe they’re now suffering “character assassination” and no one believes their story.
Staff at Paarl Gymnasium are divided on the issue. “There are only two people – apart from Danie and Eloise – who really know what happened,” one teacher says. “And they’re dead.”
Police are still investigating the matter, Captain FC van Wyk says, and “our findings can’t be released to the media”. *Not his real name.
‘Everyone’s talking about it because nothing makes sense’
Sunita and Jacques van Dyk were the only people who knew what really happened on the night of the fire.