Murder-accused Mpumalanga farm manager, Reinhardt Steyn, 24; and his three co-accused, Dumisani Chriswell Masilela, 33; Stephan Wilson, 30; and Dumisani Luthuli have appeared before the Middelburg Magistrate's Court.
The case against the four men was postponed to September 17 for the arrangement of a Chichewa language interpreter and a possible bail application, according to Monica Nyuswa, Mpumalanga regional spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA).
The four men are charged with two counts of murder, two counts of kidnapping, assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and malicious property damage.
“It is alleged that on August 24, the accused kidnapped and assaulted three victims at Elsias farm in Laersdrift outside Middelburg, accusing them of stealing sheep,” said Nyuswa.
The accused men allegedly drove to the nearby village with the victims, looking for the stolen sheep.
“Upon realising that the victims were not cooperating, the accused went back with the victims to the farm. They allegedly assaulted them and burned their bodies before dumping their remains on R575 road, leading to N4 in Middelburg,” said Nyuswa.
After the State added murder charges against the accused men, their defence teams requested the State to disclose the contents of the court document. The court ruled that the accused men’s representatives must be provided with a summary before Friday.
Nyuswa said the State is opposing bail on the four accused men due to the seriousness of the charges they are facing.
The NPA clarified that accused number three, Stephan Wilson requires the Chichewa interpretation.
On Tuesday, IOL reported that a Limpopo pig farmer and his two co-accused will remain in custody after the Mankweng Magistrate’s Court postponed their matter to next month.
Zachariah Johannes Olivier, Rudolph de Wet and William Musora face charges of murder, attempted murder, defeating the ends of justice, possession of firearms and ammunition. Musora, a foreign national, faces a further charge of contravening the Immigration Act.
It is alleged that the three men fatally shot 47-year-old Mariah Makgato and 34-year-old Kudzai Ndlovu and wounded Ndlovu's husband Mabutho Ncube who had entered Onvervaght farm to collect expired goods dumped by a commercial truck. The two women died on the farm while Ncube, managed to escape.
The man who survived the deadly Limpopo shooting has recounted the harrowing experience when he escaped for dear life, leaving his wife and Makgato on the scene.
IOL