South African serial killer and rapist Kobus Geldenhuys’ criminal career began by stealing money from his mother’s purse when he was a 10-year-old child. Geldenhuys developed no psychological inhibitors to prevent the “thing” as he called it from escalating from stealing his mother’s money to burglary, to rape and finally to murder. Shocking as it may sound Kobus Geldenhuys was a police officer, but he was invisible.
As I only joined the South African Police Force in 1994, I never interviewed Kobus Geldenhuys personally, but I later had insight into the notes of the criminologist who had evaluated him, I discussed his case with Warrant-officer Leon Nel one of the two detectives who investigated him and I read the court reports. I was also in regular contact with Janine Lazarus, a brave crime journalist from the Sunday Star newspaper who was prepared to endanger her own life to arrest the Norwood rapist terrorising her neighbourhood. Janine visited Kobus in prison several times and wrote the book, Bait To catch a killer explaining the harrowing effect this had on her life. My colleague and successor Dr Gerard Labuschagne also interviewed Kobus Geldenhuys in prison for a few years. All agreed upon the lack of emotions in this man, who did not fit the public perception that serial rapists and serial killers look like vicious monsters. All commented on his slight overweight body, puffy hands and almost soft brown eyes – until one gazes more deeply and find there is no depth – just the deadpan nothingness of the abyss. Kobus said he could read emotions on other people’s faces, but it was like looking through a glass window, he could never feel them. His emotional self was dead.
How did he become the Invisible Man?
Growing up in a home as an only child with an emotionally absent father and a domineering yet equally emotionally absent mother, who was convinced that her home was possessed by the devil, Kobus said he was lonely. He disliked his parents. His father complied with his duty to provide for the family, but never played with him. His mother tended to his basic needs such as food and clothes but never showed affection. He felt isolated. His mother did not allow him to go out unsupervised, so he could not even bond with friends.
He was never physically or sexually abused, yet he was emotionally neglected. So his emotional development was never kickstarted. Neuroscientists have established through fMRI functional magnetic resonance imaging that social pain and rejection impair the structural integrity of the anterior cingulate cortex – the ability to develop a moral code based on empathy and caring is compromised. Kobus who admitted “I don’t do emotions” could at best describe his childhood as lonely. The words ‘rejection’, ‘isolation’ and ‘neglect’ would not even register on his deprived social radar.
Kobus’ parents described him as a well-behaved child, but they never really SAW him. Trying to capture his mother’s attention, he began stealing money from her purse when he was 10-years-old, but even this did not work. Attachment-theory psychologists would recognise this act of exploitation as moving against people – eventually Kobus gave up and withdrew from people, he detached, even from his own emotions. He was not recognised as a human being, he was invisible. Kobus needed some kind of excitement to alleviate the absolute apathy that ruled his life. Psychopaths often seek thrilling jobs to get an adrenalin rush, to make them feel alive and counter the emotional void.
After applying for and being rejected by the Navy, the South African Police Force and the Post Office he was eventually accepted by the Railway Police. He worked at the Johannesburg International Airport. With the amalgamation between the Railway Police and the South African Police Force, Kobus finally became a policeman and stayed on airport duty. Later he was transferred to the Internal Stability Unit at Alexandra, which was responsible for keeping the peace within a hostile community. The 1980’s in South Africa were turbulent times, both for the young policemen and for the young activists in the townships. Heavily armed police vehicles would patrol the streets and would daily be bombarded with petrol bombs and other projectiles. Both parties would often exchange fire, but the details of these township battles were not made public due to a government media blackout. To most men on either side these battles were very traumatic. Kobus described his time working in the townships as boring.
On 12 May 1989 Kobus was bored at playing video games at his parents’ home and hopped over the fence into the neighbour’s yard. There he encountered the housekeeper, 21-year-old Miss Franiswa Tundzi in her pyjamas, coming out of her room. She screamed and he pushed her into her room. He assaulted her with a brick and strangled her and set her room on fire. This was a murder of opportunity and remained unsolved for years until he confessed to it.
By 1991 Kobus was living in the Norwood Police Station barracks. On 2 November 1991 Kobus was again bored with watching television in the barracks and went out for a walk. He passed the Grantwood Close apartment block and spotted an open window. He climbed in and stole 13 cd’s and went back to his room. The following night his need for adventure and relief of boredom forced him outside again. This time he chose an apartment block directly next to the barracks. Kobus climbed through an open window and stole four cd’s, a cd player and two speakers. The flat was occupied by 37-year-old Miss F. He also stole her BMW car keys and took the car for a joy ride. The next day Kobus returned the car to its parking space and threw the keys through the window. The following evening on 6 November 1991, Kobus returned to Miss F’s apartment once again. He found her in bed and undressed himself and when she woke up and asked him what he wanted, he threatened her with his 9mm service pistol. He struggled with her and raped her. She asked him why he did it and he answered that he did it for fun. He turned the gun on her again, but she pleaded for her life. He told Miss F to pull the duvet cover over her head, which she did. Kobus left through the window. Just before he left, Miss F asked him if he was scared and he answered that he did not care. Psychopaths do not feel fear.
Scarcely 20 days later on 26 November 1991 Kobus was bored again. He strolled around in the neighbourhood and noticed a handbag through the window of a ground floor apartment in Grant Close. Kobus climbed through the window and stole R50 from the handbag. He saw a woman sitting in the lounge, but she did not notice him. He was invisible. He left the apartment silently and went back to his quarters. Later that same night Kobus returned to the apartment. A 68-year-old woman, Mrs M woke up to find Kobus in her room. When she screamed he hit her over the head with his service pistol and began to undress her as well as himself. Kobus raped the dazed woman and thereafter asked her for money. She told him that the money was locked away. He kissed her and raped her again. Thereafter Kobus got dressed and threw a blanket over his victim. He wished her a good night and told her to sleep well and left the apartment through the same window.
Although he derived some kind of enjoyment from sneaking into people’s homes, especially when they were at home, Kobus admitted that breaking into people’s homes soon was not enough to satisfy his adrenalin urge. He had thought about raping women, but it was only when he was issued a service pistol by the police, that he felt powerful enough. It reminds one of another killer-cop, Uyselen Nel whose identity and self-worth was linked to a gun, and of Velaphi Ndlangamandla, the Saloon Killer. Within a few months, breaking and entering and raping the women did not satisfy him any longer. Dopamine and adrenalin is a powerful addictive cocktail. Kobus needed more and that is when he began murdering, again. Where is first murder was unplanned and made him feel dirty, the following murders had some element that made him addicted.
Again 20 days later, on 16 December 1991 Kobus entered the home of 27-year-old Julia Margaret Hitge in Shipstone Lane. He could not see properly and switched on the light. Julia awoke and saw him and this was when he decided that she would have to die. He hit her with the pistol on the back of her head. Kobus raped the stunned woman and shot her in cold blood through the temple, obliterating her face.
Two weeks later on 30 December 1991 Kobus entered a second-floor apartment in another complex next to the barracks. He moved into the bedroom where he switched on the light and found 27-year-old Jennifer Matfield in her bed. Jenny screamed when she saw him. Kobus hit her against the head with his pistol and stripped her pyjamas. He raped her. When he finished he told her to take a bath, which she did. Kobus returned to her room and dressed himself. He returned to the bathroom and stood in the doorway smoking a cigarette. Kobus then calmly drew his pistol. Jenny turned her head away and he shot her in the back of her head and left.
The news of the Norwood serial rapist / serial killer had hit the media by then. Detectives had traced footprints to the barracks and fingerprints were found on Jenny’s crime scene. All the men in the barracks had to assemble in the television room to have their fingerprints taken. Kobus decided that he would turn himself in then, but no-one arrived to take their fingerprints and he felt safe again. As a policeman in uniform, Kobus was invisible once again.
On 7 May 1992 Kobus moved from Norwood to the neighbourhood where his ex-fiance’s parents lived and entered the apartment of 74-year-old Mrs Susanna Elizabeth Wandrag. He switched the light on and off and went to another room where he found a torch. Mrs Wandrag woke up when he switched on the light. She screamed and he hit her with the pistol. She grabbed his hands whereupon he shot her in the face, obliterating her identity.
On the afternoon of 15 July 1992 Kobus was bored again and jumped a few fences into a neighbour’s yard. The house belonged to Mrs Taylor who shared it with her 16-year-old daughter, Veronica. He raped Veronia on the bed. Kobus could not manage to penetrate Veronica, but he ejaculated. He took his pistol and shot her in the forehead, again obliterating her face. He later said the star-shaped wound caused by a close-up gunshot fascinated him.
Veronica’s case was investigated by Warrant officer Leon Nel of the East Rand Murder and Robbery Unit. Veronica’s post-mortem was conducted by Dr Vernon Kemp, who had also performed post-mortems on the other victims of the Norwood rapist. Dr Kemp had a suspicion that Veronica was murdered by the same man and alerted the detectives. Warrant officers Miles and Nel got in touch with each other.
Kobus was finally arrested by Warrant officer Miles, who had been hunting him for months. He admitted to switching his service pistol with one in the armoury. After his arrest the discrepancy regarding his DNA was also cleared up. Some serial killers like Kobus Geldenhuys, Andrei Chikatilo of Russia and UK’s John Duffy, the Railway Ripper, have different blood types than that reflected in their semen.
Kobus had no sense really of self-preservation and would leave evidence at crime scenes, almost wanting to be caught. However, it was never enough to voluntarily give himself up. But he did thank the investigating officer for finally arresting him. He admitted he could never be able to stop himself.
On 24 September 1993, Mr Justice R Cloete passed five death sentences on to Jacobus Petrus Geldenhuys for the murders, three life sentences for the rapes, 12 years for robbery, and 35 months for theft and using a vehicle without the owner’s permission. He is currently still serving a life sentence and his last parole application in 2020 was denied. He told my colleague Dr Gerard Labuschagne if he ever gets out he wants to work on a cruise ship! That ship has sailed Kobus!
Kobus Geldenhuys wanted to be acknowledged as a human, with emotions by his parents, mostly his mother. He wanted her to SEE him. When he forced his victims to finally SEE him by switching on the light, it was too late and he obliterated their faces, in cold blood, taking their identity, as he was never really acknowledged as an identity – a childhood fantasy of the Invisible Man coming to light in the flash of a gun.
Top image: Detective inspector Leon Nel accompanying Kobus Geldenhuys (Credit Sunday Times)
By Dr Micki Pistorius
