GEORGE NEWS - In the final moments before judgment was handed down in the murder trial of Joan Singrew, the George Circuit High Court had taken on a life beyond its legal function
It had become, as Adv Evadne Kortje says, "like a church. The court supporters would sit in the same spots and even keep the others' seats. It was fascinating."
The community was looking for answers, closure and, above all, justice.
On Friday 10 April, justice was indeed served when Joan's husband, Duane, was sentenced to life imprisonment for murdering her. His accomplice and cousin, Heinrich Jumat, was handed 20 years' imprisonment for his involvement.
Kortje said she was intrigued by how every small fact and investigative action formed the narrative of what happened to Joan in the final moments of her life.
"I was also amazed at the way the community attended the court proceedings. The support from the Conville Police Station's commander, Colonel Anton Stander, and the detectives from Conville was comforting and commendable," she says.
For her it was a privilege to work with officers who handled the case with diligence from the start.
She praised the investigating team under the command of retired Warrant Officer Clive Davids and Sergeant Johannes Nett for gathering key evidence and building the forensic case.
The collaboration between multiple units, including the Hawks, K9 unit and forensic teams, was, in her words, a recipe for success.
Emotional weight
Despite the emotional weight of cases like Joan Singrew's murder, the 2018 murder of Hlompho Mohapi Koloi and the 2025 conviction of wife-killer Rodney Witbooi, Kortje remains level-headed.
Her faith, along with the support from colleagues who understand the unique pressures of the profession, gives stability in a career that regularly confronts the darker side of human behaviour.
"I must constantly remind myself that humans are inherently good. It is people's choices that conflict with the law. Joan's family can find closure now. They have heard the evidence. They have had the opportunity to find some answers."
Duane Singrew and school
At the start of his murder trial, Duane Singrew brought an application to court to have Kortje removed as prosecutor, claiming that they knew each other from school and that he had bullied her.
When asked how this affected her, Kortje stated that she was four years older than Singrew and had been in Grade Seven when he was in Grade Two or Three.
"I have no personal connection with Mr Singrew. The initial application to have me removed as the prosecutor was unsettling, as he is not the first person from the community of Rosemoor whom I prosecuted. I worked in George from 2000 to 2007 and prosecuted numerous cases in the high court, and never did any accused bring an application this unfounded before."
After 26 years in the field, she has well-established boundaries when it comes to separating personal history from her professional duties.
Looking back on her journey from a learner in George to a senior state advocate, Kortje says what stands out is her ability to serve.
"I can serve my community locally in George and in the Western Cape. I can be the light, bringing hope to victims and their families who have lost faith in the goodness of mankind. I have a role to play in realising justice for others. I have a front seat in seeing hurt, healing and reconciliation in our society."
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