Advocate Gerrit Coetzee has abandoned his public search for a second bride after he was accused of sexually assaulting a 16-year-old girl who visited his Free State farm with a Durban man.
Coetzee denies the allegation and says it only emerged after he stopped paying Albertus du Plooy, who had approached him after seeing an advertisement for a second bride. Coetzee says he had already paid Du Plooy approximately R26 000 for travel expenses and car repairs before refusing to provide more money.
Du Plooy, however, says he did not try to blackmail Coetzee and that he made videos about the alleged incident because he wanted people to know what had happened. He has since removed the videos, says he regrets taking the teenager to meet Coetzee and confirms that he has not opened a formal sexual assault case against the advocate.
Coetzee has indicated that he intends to take Du Plooy and other people to court for defamation. He says he has spent R97 000 investigating and tracking down 33 people whom he intends to sue over statements made after Du Plooy posted videos on TikTok.
The dispute began after Coetzee placed an advertisement in Die Burger seeking a second wife. The advertisement stated that he was looking for a woman between the ages of 16 and 25 who was a healthy non-smoker with deep faith-based values and accepted that the man would serve as head of the household.
It promised a R100 000 dowry and R5 million in “will provisions” to the successful candidate. The process also included a formal “introductory conversation” with Coetzee’s wife, Andrea, described in the advertisement as the “head wife of the household”.
The meeting involving the 16-year-old took place separately from Coetzee’s widely publicised search process. Coetzee said Du Plooy contacted him on TikTok and claimed that he and his girlfriend knew a young woman who could be a suitable match.
“He initially said he fully agreed with my views on polygamy and that he was also in favour of it. He and his girlfriend said on a call that they know a girl who would be a good fit. Shortly afterwards, he called me again and said the teenager and her mother were open to meeting me,” Coetzee told Rapport.
The teenager, her mother, Du Plooy and his girlfriend travelled about 600km from Durban to Coetzee and Andrea’s farm outside Deneysville in the Free State. Coetzee agreed to cover their fuel costs.
“He said R2 000 would be enough. They were going to leave on the Friday after work, but then they had all these excuses – the children were sick, and they needed money for medicine. So I sent another R500. They eventually arrived at the farm at 02:00 on that Sunday morning, and the 16-year-old’s mother was with them too. I was glad, because we could all meet one another,” Coetzee said.
The group spent the night at the farm in separate rooms. Coetzee and Andrea slept in their room, the teenager and her mother in another room, and Du Plooy and his girlfriend in a third room.
“We all went to bed – Andrea and I went to our room, the young lady and her mother [to another room], and Du Plooy and his girlfriend to another room. We naturally tried to accommodate everyone and put our best foot forward. They all got up the following morning at around 11:00, after which we had breakfast and spent time together. They headed back to Durban at about 14:00.”
Coetzee said he later agreed to pay for damage to Du Plooy’s BMW after the man complained that a dirt road had damaged a wheel and rim.
“The dirt road to get to the farm is bad. He called me on that Monday morning and said he didn’t want to ask for money, but that he’d hit a pothole and his wheel and rim were badly damaged. I thought, whether it happened here or in Durban, he’d made all that effort to drive out here – so I paid R4 500 for the repairs.”
A second visit was later arranged. Coetzee said Du Plooy told him that everyone had enjoyed the first meeting and wanted to return. The parties agreed to share the fuel costs.
“The Friday after the initial meeting, he called and said they’d had a great time and wanted to do it again. We then agreed that each side would pay half the fuel. They arrived here at 02:00 last Saturday,” Coetzee said.
Coetzee said the 16-year-old was sitting alone in the back seat when they arrived. He greeted her with a hug and said he tried to kiss her hello, but she turned her cheek. He said he then kissed her cheek before asking for a proper kiss.
“I then said, ‘No, come on, give me a proper kiss,’ and we gave each other a peck on the lips. I then wanted to greet Du Plooy’s girlfriend, but her hands were full, and Du Plooy had got under the car. We went to the kitchen for a drink, and everyone went to sleep.”
Coetzee said the group later had breakfast, socialised and held a braai. He said he poured the teenager and Du Plooy’s girlfriend a small glass of Baileys liqueur each.
“I poured the 16-year-old and Du Plooy’s girlfriend a small glass of Baileys liqueur each. We had a braai, had a good time and went to bed later. On the Sunday morning, the young lady came out of her room only at around 11:00, and Du Plooy’s girlfriend told me she was busy with a project. That’s when I thought she didn’t really want to get to know me better. When we said goodbye that Sunday morning, I didn’t even try to hug her. I thought that if there was any interest, she would give me a hug herself.”
The financial disagreement escalated after Du Plooy sent Coetzee an invoice for repairs to his BMW 325i. Coetzee said the invoice included work on the car’s shock absorbers and that he offered to pay the workshop directly if his company’s details were included.
“I told him I would pay the workshop directly, but they needed to put my company’s details on the invoice because payment would go through the company. He refused and said I had to pay it into his personal account.”
Coetzee says he then faced criticism on TikTok after refusing to pay the invoice in the way Du Plooy requested.
“Du Plooy then went on TikTok and told everyone I had no money and couldn’t even fix his car, as we had agreed. Alarm bells started ringing for me. I didn’t want any further drama, so I transferred R9 000 to him. Suddenly, there were more invoices, and Du Plooy said I had paid too little. I refused.”
“He then asked how I was going to pay the intended dowry if I couldn’t even come up with R800 for wheel bearings. I realised I shouldn’t pay him any more money. Du Plooy then started claiming I had sexually assaulted the 16-year-old, referring to the peck at the car,” Coetzee said.
“They bring me a woman who is a prospective bride, but I can’t even give her a brief kiss? By Tuesday, he wanted another R5 600 from me for the BMW’s control arms. I ignored him, and then he started making more videos about me.”
Du Plooy confirmed the broad account of the visits but rejected Coetzee’s suggestion that the videos were made to force money from him. He said he had lost money because of damage to his vehicle.
“It rained on the second visit, and the dirt road was really bad. Coetzee agreed to repair the damage to my car and then refused because his details weren’t on the invoice.
“I definitely did not try to blackmail him out of money or set him up. If that were the case, I’m not a very good blackmailer. I made the videos telling people what he had done separately from the money I was asking for. I wanted people to know what he had done so that others wouldn’t fall into the same trap. He refused to pay because I had already, in his words, ‘defamed’ him on TikTok.”
Du Plooy said he and his girlfriend had been impressed by Coetzee and Andrea after the first visit and believed the arrangement might provide an opportunity for the teenager.
“We thought it was a way out for the 16-year-old, because they are really struggling. After the first visit, I didn’t ask her how she felt, but the women, of course, spoke among themselves. She knew Gerrit was looking for a second wife.”
However, he said the second visit made him uncomfortable, especially after Coetzee allegedly asked for a kiss when the teenager had turned her cheek.
“On the second visit, I was really uncomfortable about the kiss and the fact that he forced himself on her after she turned her cheek. He also joked about it and made comments, such as telling her she should remove the password from her phone. And then he gave her alcohol,” Du Plooy said.
Du Plooy has since removed the TikTok videos. He said he hoped Coetzee would pay the money if he took them down, but also said he wanted to make peace after being accused of human trafficking.
“I can speak about it the same way I would if I saw someone steal something. I don’t necessarily have to open a case. I started taking down the videos because I hoped Gerrit would pay the money if I removed them.
“People also accused me of human trafficking, and I didn’t want to keep fighting. I wanted to make peace. I am sorry that I took this young woman to Gerrit, and I will not do something like that again. My girlfriend and I broke up because of this as well,” Du Plooy said.
He said he had not opened a formal sexual assault complaint against Coetzee. According to Du Plooy, the teenager could do so herself if she wished.
Coetzee and Andrea have now called off their search for a second wife. Coetzee said the process had attracted people he did not trust and had caused the situation to become unmanageable.
“The whole thing got out of hand. The dowry attracted the wrong people, and I was too trusting throughout. There is no longer even a shortlist – everyone has withdrawn. We will carry on, and if someone crosses our path, so be it. If we do meet someone, we might only announce it on the wedding day and stay out of the public eye.
“Andrea wants to stop the whole process, but then I lose the purpose behind why I started all of this. Then all this hell I’ve been through would have been for nothing. South African society is not ready for this kind of relationship based on Biblical principles.”
Coetzee said he had spent R97 000 in one week investigating and tracking down 33 people who made statements about him after the TikTok posts. He said he had begun legal proceedings seeking interdicts and intended to pursue criminal proceedings.
“I am a poor judge of character, and I have paid the price for it many times before. I only see the good in people until they prove otherwise. I had about six panic attacks on Friday. The nausea takes over your entire body.”
He added: “I am disappointed in myself for not being able to see through people. I am angry because this was an innocent family meeting, and now I am being accused of all of this.”
The allegations have not been tested in court, and Du Plooy has not laid a formal sexual assault complaint. The teenager’s identity has not been disclosed.
Coetzee said three options remained open to him and Andrea if they wanted to have an heir: a second wife, surrogacy or adoption. He said he preferred a second bride because “that addresses my needs” and would allow a public conversation about polygamy and his legacy.
“We have, however, also started attending consultations about surrogacy and are considering it. It is quite a lengthy process. Adoption remains the last priority because it is not as time-sensitive.”
For now, the search that attracted widespread public attention has ended, while the threats of legal action and competing accounts of the farm visits continue. The central allegations remain disputed, and any formal legal proceedings will determine whether either side’s claims are ultimately tested before a court.
