Family Seeks Justice For Murdered Dr. Natheem Jacobs

The family of Dr. Natheem Jacobs, a veterinarian with the Society for the Prevention
of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), is praying for justice after the man accused of killing him pleaded not guilty in Wynberg Regional Court.

Incident Overview

On that fateful evening, Jacobs caught 38-year-old Jovan Williams and others attempting to take the wheels off his wife’s car. A scuffle broke out, and Jacobs was stabbed. He died from his injuries shortly after being transferred to the hospital.

Investigation and Arrest

Following the murder, police initiated a massive manhunt for Williams, who fled the scene but left important evidence, including his cell phone. The device held personal information that connected him to the crime scene.

A month later, Lieutenant-Colonel Adrian Pretorius sought assistance from the Daily Voice, and Williams’ picture became widely spread; he then handed himself over to the police in May 2023.

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According to Al Jama-ah PR councillor, Shameema Salie said the arrest of the suspect took too long. “We reported to the police several times that he was seen roaming the streets. We decided to put the poster up about Williams on social media, and that is how he decided to hand himself over to the police.”

Timeline of Court Proceedings

The state said he had been convicted before for a firearm offence but was unable to say if it was for possession of a firearm or ammunition. His run-ins with the law include drugs and malicious property damage.

The state said that the accused was charged with the Schedule 6 offence because of the previous conviction, but the defence argued it was a conviction for an ammunition offence and therefore it should be Schedule 5.

In May 2023, Jovan Williams appeared in Athlone Magistrates’ Court for the first time since his arrest. He was denied bail due to the seriousness of the charges against him and his prior criminal record, which includes convictions for unlawful possession of ammunition and drugs.

After the first arrest, Belinda Abraham of the Cape of Good Hope SPCA welcomed the
arrest. She said his loss is felt at the SPCA daily. “Dr. Natheem Jacobs’ legacy will forever be part of the work that we do at Cape of Good Hope SPCA Animal Hospital. We
remain committed to honouring his legacy by continuing to provide exceptional
care for animals in need. Our thoughts are with the Jacobs and Levy families.
and we hope that the arrest brings with it a small measure of comfort for
them.”

June 7, 2023, the case was remanded for further proceedings as investigations
continued.

Natheem’s mother, Zulykha Jacobs, said she wanted justice for her son.

“He murdered my son, and if Schedule 5 will give him a lesser sentence, then that
won’t do it.

“He must be given the maximum sentence; we don’t want anything less. We will not be
happy with Schedule 5 because we all know that he is guilty and that alone
should be the reason to go with a Schedule 6 offence.

“We heard in court that the accused had been involved in other criminal activities.
and that means nothing to me. All that matters is that he pays for what he
did.”

September 2023, during the bail hearing, Williams confessed to stabbing someone but did
not confess to Jacobs’ murder. His bail application was denied again due to
public safety concerns and a potential flight risk.

On November 23, 2023, the case was postponed since post-mortem evidence was still pending.

The court set a new date for January 30, 2024.

January 30, 2024, proceedings were again postponed since key evidence had not yet been
presented.

On February 2, 2025, nearly two years after the murder, Williams pleaded not
guilty in Wynberg Regional Court. This plea came as a surprise because he had
already acknowledged being involved in the stabbing during earlier proceedings.

The trial is expected to continue, with an evidence presentation scheduled for May 5, 2025. Dr. Jacobs’ family continues to attend court sessions in the hopes of finding justice.