Kavitha Nerputh murder accused appears briefly in PMB court

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Durban - A man accused of murdering Pietermaritzburg businesswoman, Kavitha Nerputh, made his first appearance in the PMB Magistrate's Court on Monday. Simphiwe Msweli, made a brief appearance and the matter was remanded to February 19.

Simphiwe Mweli (pictured in green check shirt) made his first appearance at the Pmb Magistrate court charged with the murder of Pmb businesswoman #KavithaNerputh. He is remanded in custody until 19 Feb 2020 @TheMercurySA pic.twitter.com/hyeH4VBFbo — Kailene Pillay (@kailenepillay) February 3, 2020

Msweli was arrested by a team of detectives from the Alexandra police station on Friday.

Nerputh, a well-known socialite, was found in her vehicle alive, but with a weak pulse, after she had been strangled with a cellphone charger cable.

Police were at the park looking for another vehicle when they found her. She died soon after.

According to police sources, Nerputh had been in the company of someone known to her before her death. Her car keys and cellphone had been stolen.

Police spokesperson Colonel Thembeka Mbele said the Alexandra police station was investigating the murder.

Nerputh first featured in local newspapers in 2017 when she spent R100 000 on a birthday party for her 4-year-old.

She was also the creator and owner of Foreverwell Tea which specialised in weight loss.

A week before her death Nerputh, of Newholmes in Northdale, made contact with The Mercury's sister publication, the POST with regard to a protection order she was trying to obtain.

“I am a victim of cyberbullying. I am a successful businesswoman and people want to create stories about me to defame me,” she told the POST.

“These people are obsessed with me. They are obsessed with destroying me. They want to bring me down in any way they can.”

The Mercury