‘Marked man’? Suspect in missing Sodwana skipper case ‘on the run’ again

Tomas Frederik ‘Ferdie’ Visser, the man arrested in connection with the disappearance of Sodwana Bay skipper John “Matambu” Dercksen, has allegedly escaped from prison while carrying out community service in Mpumalanga.

The family of Dercksen, who received word of Visser’s reported escape last week, has appealed to members of the public to assist in the search and report any sightings of him.

Matambu’s sister, Cherie Eilertsen, told Netwerk24 that she got word of the alleged escape last week Monday.

“This is extremely upsetting news. It feels as if someone has punched me in the stomach,” Eilertsen said.

‘He can’t be on the run for long’

“But Visser is a marked man and, with no access to funds, clothing or transport, he can’t be on the run for long,” Eilertsen was reported as saying by Zululand Observer.

“He may have illegally crossed the border into Swaziland or Zimbabwe,” said Eilertsen.

What happened to Sodwana skipper John ‘Matambu’ Dercksen?

The intriguing case of the 68-year-old KwaZulu-Natal skipper’s mysterious disappearance made headlines when Dercksen – whom locals referred to as the “Legend of Sodwana Bay” – went missing while on a charter with Visser on Saturday afternoon, 16 March.

The 21-foot Yeld Cat ski boat, Magnum Too, was found wrecked and burnt on a beach near the bay of Ponta Dobela in Mozambique the next morning.

While he was out drinking at a local bar in Sodwana Bay with Matambu and other skippers on the Friday night, Visser claimed he was terminally ill and that it was his last wish to go out at sea in a boat.

Visser arrested for disappearance of Sodwana skipper Dercksen

Following a swift but intense manhunt, Visser was arrested after he was spotted by a member of the public in Maputo about a week after Matambu’s disappearance.

He appeared on several occasions at the Mbazwana Magistrate’s Court, but charges against him were withdrawn on 21 May after the extradition process to South Africa was found to have been bungled.

The 45-year-old Visser was however still in police custody for the violation of his parole conditions in connection with a separate case of fraud. He was supposed to remain behind bars until August 2025.

Netwerk24 reported on a letter sent to the director of public prosecutions (DPP) for the KwaZulu-Natal Division of the High Court by AfriForum’s Private Prosecution Unit led by Advocate Gerrie Nel.

The private prosecution unit became involved in the case on behalf of Dercksen’s family a few months ago.

‘Almost certainly a murder case’

News24 reported at the beginning of October that Nel wrote to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) to ask why Dercksen’s case, which it described as “almost certainly a murder case”, was still being treated as a missing persons matter.

AfriForum has said it would initiate a private prosecution if the NPA failed to prosecute.

In the letter, AfriForum alleges that Visser failed to return to prison following his community service duty in Mpumalanga.

The unit requested the director to provide clarity in regard to the allegations of his escape.

According to the letter, Visser was transferred from Qalakabusha prison near Empangeni in KwaZulu-Natal to a correctional services centre in Mpumalanga, allegedly without the knowledge of the investigative officer.

Eilertson said the family was also not informed of Visser’s transfer.

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Correctional Services looking into prison escape claims

The Citizen approached Euné Oelofsen, spokesperson for Minister of Correctional Services, Dr Pieter Groenewald, for comment.

“These serious allegations have been brought under the attention of the minister,” Oeloefsen said.

“The department has been tasked to investigate the matter and strict action will be taken if any trace of corruption is found.”

• The latest developments come ahead of the planned memorial service for Dercksen on Sunday, 10 November at the Sodwana Bay Ski-boat Club.

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