Life sentence for Calvinia man who beat, killed and buried his wife
A husband from Calvinia in the Northern Cape has been sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of his 40-year-old wife.
Image: File
CHARLES Matthys, a 55-year-old man from Calvinia in the Northern Cape, has been sentenced to life imprisonment for killing and burying his 40-year-old wife, Annamary Matthys.
The incident occurred on April 15, 2022, at their home, where he beat her to death and buried her in a shallow grave behind a school.
Matthys was sentenced to life imprisonment for murder, with additional sentences of one year for assault and six months for defeating the ends of justice. The conviction stemmed from a meticulous investigation conducted by Detective Sergeant Jaco Swartz of the Calvinia Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences unit.
Matthys was arrested after a community member's tip-off led police to find him with bloodstained clothes. The Northern Cape High Court in Calvinia handed down the sentence on June 27, 2025, bringing closure to the case
Lieutenant-General Koliswa Otola, provincial commissioner of the Northern Cape, commended the detective and the National Prosecuting Authority for their roles in ensuring justice was served. She emphasised the importance of community collaboration in eradicating gender-based violence and femicide.
Detective Sergeant Jaco Swartz.
Image: Supplied / SAPS