Pupil charged with killing teacher appears in court
Jason...@virgin.net
The Star (South Africa) 10/03/99
Pupil charged with killing teacher appears in court
By Vivian Warby
The 18-year-old pupil accused of killing Townview High School teacher
Andreas Werth on Friday made a brief appearance in
the Krugersdorp Magistrate's Court yesterday.
Justice Mahafha, neatly dressed in casual pants and a sweatshirt, was
not asked to plead on charges of murder, housebreaking
and theft. His mother and stepfather were in court.
The housebreaking and theft charges apparently relate to an alleged
break-in at the home of his mother and step-father in
Krugersdorp West, where Mahafha lived. Items, including a firearm and
clothing, were apparently stolen.
Magistrate P J Holtshauzen postponed the case to Tuesday and Mahafha was
remanded in custody at the Krugersdorp police
cells.
The prosecutor, Fatima Khan, said an identity parade would be held
within the week.
Mahafha has indicated that he wants to conduct his own defence.
Mahafha, a Grade 11 pupil, allegedly shot Werth in front of a class of
Grade 8 pupils.
Werth was taken to the Krugersdorp Private Hospital, where he died.
Mahafha handed himself over to Johannesburg police on Sunday night.
Jason...@virgin.net
The Star
Teacher's death in shooting shatters fiance
By Cathy Powers
Nicola Pauquet was packing her things for a weekend with her fianc, Andreas
Werth, when a pupil shot the 39-year-old
schoolteacher in front of his Grade 8 class on Friday.
Werth was sitting in his classroom marking papers when the pupil shot him in
the head.
He was rushed to Krugersdorp Private Hospital where he died shortly
afterwards. Nicola (31) waited for him at the gate of her
parents' home in vain.
Only later, after Nicola had been sedated, did her mother and father have
the heart to tell her what had happened to her fianc.
She went hysterical.
Werth, Nicola said, was her reason for living. Without him she wasn't sure
she could carry on. "My fianc wanted me to carry
on it's very hard," she said. Werth's death was the second blow life had
dealt her in the past couple of years.
About two years ago, Nicola suffered a cerebral haemorrhage brought on by a
bout of mumps. The family was told not to
expect her to live, her mother Val said. But after two- and-a-half hours of
surgery and several months at various institutions, she
made a "miraculous" recovery and is now teaching part-time.
Werth, a committed Christian, was with her every step of the way. They had
been friends before Nicola suffered the
haemorrhage, got engaged on Christmas Eve last year and were to be married
next January.
Werth had often spoken of pupils bringing guns to the school, and he also
said there was alcohol abuse at the school. "He kept
telling me: If I die, you must carry on'," Nicola said.
"He pushed her on it had an amazing psychological effect on her," her mother
Val said. "He gave her a reason to live, there's no
doubt about that."
A committed teacher, Werth knew his students well and, although he was a
strict disciplinarian, he was well respected, Val
added.