EAST LONDON — Local private detective Christian Botha, who last year solved a murder mystery that had baffled the police for eight years, has done it again.

And now, as a result of the national acclaim his sleuthing has earned him, he has been commissioned to go to Cape Town in search of the body of a teacher who was killed three years ago.

Last week, two suspects – Ernest Viljoen and Vernon Douglas – appeared in the Germiston Magistrate’s Court after Botha solved the horrific murder of Deon de Villiers, who was knifed to death at the Boksburg lake a year ago. De Villiers died after he had been stabbed a number of times and had his throat cut.

“God help me,” he shouted before he died.

“There is no God,” said one of his attackers, according to the investigating officer, Captain George Motlhamme.

De Villiers’ father, also Deon de Villiers, contacted Botha after he read a newspaper report on how the East London private detective had solved the eight-year-old mystery of the disappearance of Johannesburg businessman Alec Steenkamp.

This case and other interesting cases which he has investigated over the years will soon be published in book form.

De Villiers told Rapport that he had wasted thousands on the services of two other private detectives who had failed to come up with any evidence about his son’s murder.

He said that he had almost given up hope that his son’s murder would be solved when he heard about Botha.

De Villiers said all three private detectives worked with the same information – the list of cellphone numbers which had been called on his son’s telephone.

“Only Christian Botha could do something with it. He’s got a passion for his work. He does not only chase money.”

Motlhamme, who is attached to the East Rand hijacking task team, also praised Botha. “Without the work that he has done I doubt whether we would have arrested the two suspects.”

Botha is due to testify in the Steenkamp case and he also hopes to meet the De Villiers family.

He is now waiting for further instructions from the mother of the Cape Town teacher.

“Somebody has already appeared in court, but was released as a result of a lack of evidence. My main aim is to find the body. The mother says whoever killed her son will face judgment later. She only wants the remains of her son.”

Botha said he also has a case pending in Limpopo.