Guard saw Rohde push his wife away, court hears

SPIER wine estate security guard Kwanele Mabeta saw property mogul Jason Rohde pushing away his wife, Susan, hours before she died.

But Mabeta told the Cape Town High Court he did not call for back-up as the altercation did not seem like a fight.

Testifying for the prosecution in Rohde’s murder trial‚ Mabeta said he had been patrolling the estate in the early hours of July 24 last year when he saw the Rohdes arguing.

“I knew they were arguing because whenever the lady in the white gown touched the man, he would push her away‚” Mabeta said.

Rohde claims Susan committed suicide‚ while the state maintains that her suicide was staged.

Rohde’s defence team stated previously that on the night before Susan died the couple had a fight, during which Rohde grabbed Susan by the neck with his right hand.

He did this because he was allegedly trying to get away from her.

He also claimed that he accidentally hit her with the back of his hand and his elbow.

Then she allegedly lost her footing and fell onto a wall in the garden.

Earlier yesterday‚ defence advocate Graham van der Spuy completed his cross-examination of state pathologist Dr Deidre Abrahams.

The trial will continue in February.