DUMISANE LUBISI, Pietersburg | Tuesday
LAWYERS defending nine rugby players accused of killing a rural teenager have demanded that the presiding magistrate recuse himself after he was caught chatting to the prosecutor in the case during lunch recess.
Magistrate Ronnie Rambau of the Pietersburg Magistrate’s Court is presiding over the bail application of nine members of the Noordelikes Rugby Club. Last week, he denied bail to one of the men.
Defence attorneys argued that Rambau’s discussion with State prosecutor Sam Mamabolo during the lunch break cast doubt on his impartiality in the case. Mamabolo said there was no evidence to substantiate the claims.
The case was postponed to Wednesday for further bail application after one of the accused, Johan van Ravenstein, 28, spent the morning begging for bail to prevent his butchery from going under.
He said he was self-employed and that if he was kept in custody he would not be able to generate an income to support his two-year-old daughter.
His butchery supplied meat to about 80 rural areas in the region, he added. Investigating officers opposed bail, saying one of them had received threats.
The nine rugby players are accused of beating Tshepo Matloga, 17, to death on Eenderheken farm in Dendron on March 25 when they caught him hunting rabbits with five dogs.
The dogs were shot dead. The rugby players are also accused of shooting and injuring Matloga’s cousin, Alex Motlokwane, 17. Another cousin, Melford Motlokwane, 19, escaped unhurt.
Chairman of the Ga-Magatle Tribal Authority, Andries Mogatle, told the court that the community where Matloga lived were demanding that bail be denied.
The nine have not been asked to plead to charges of murder and attempted murder.
They are: Van Ravenstein, Jaco Hartslief, 27, who was denied bail on April 18, Riaan Botha, 28, Kobus Joubert, 34, Francois Viljoen, 19, Mike Adendorf, 24, Corne Kloppers, 22, Willem Boshoff, 27, and Ben Korff, 26, a lieutenant with the SA National Defence Force in Pietersburg. – African Eye News Service
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