The family of a young mom who died after her boyfriend allegedly murdered her and faked her suicide is pleading for help as they protest at court next week.
It is alleged the woman was killed on 22 August 2020 because she wanted to leave her berk.
For several months the death of UWC student Nicole Bester, 23, has confused her family as they try to get answers about what led to her death.
Nicole was studying pharmacology.
Mom Cashandra, 47, says she got a skrik when she received a call saying her daughter had allegedly swallowed tablets and died in the flat that she shared with her boyfriend Yusrey Oliver Pillay, 39, in Burgundy Estate.
“I received a call from her father who told me she had committed suicide,” Cashandra tells the Daily Voice.
“I had my doubts, but Nicole was never somebody who spoke about her relationship with Oliver.
“She has a five-year-old daughter and the child’s biological father told me that she had planned to leave Oliver.
“The weekend she died she had told the biological father to bring her daughter back on the Sunday as she was preparing to take her somewhere.
“When I went to her house (after her death) I found bags that she had packed.
“All Oliver told her father was that Nicole drank tablets.”
Cashandra says she also went to the mortuary where she noticed bruising under Nicole’s chin and started asking questions.
“There was a dark blue, purplish mark and I saw something about this story was wrong.
“After we buried her we were contacted by police who told us that an autopsy on her body revealed that the cause of death was actually manual strangulation and the case changed to murder.
“Oliver was later arrested and charged with her murder.
“We have been struggling to get answers from the police, they did not even state when he was arrested.”
Police spokesperson Sergeant Noloyiso Rwexana confirms the murder case and says the suspect will return to Bellville Magistrates’ Court on 7 April.
Cashandra says she was left devastated when they heard Pillay had been released on R2000 bail in February.
“We didn’t even know he was going up for bail. When we spoke to the investigating officer he told us he has many cases and can’t be at every case.
“We are calling on people to join us on 7 April as we wear black and protest at Bellville court.”