/ 13 May 2005

Primary school teacher in court for shooting

A NORTHERN Province primary school teacher appeared in court on Tuesday after he allegedly shot a man in a bar early Sunday morning.

Masekela Vincent Malesa, 33, of Namakgale township near Tzaneen was not asked to plead on an attempted murder charge in the Namakgale District Court.

He was granted R3 000 bail, which he was unable to pay. Malesa allegedly confronted a couple at Namakgale Bar Lounge early Sunday morning and claimed to be in love with the woman, said Lowveld police spokesman Inspector Moatshe Ngoepe.

He said Malesa allegedly pulled a gun and fired several shots, which hit the other man in the body.

The man, aged 30, was rushed to Maphutha Malatji Hospital where he is in a serious but stable condition. Police did not want to name the injured man in case it endangered his safety.

Malesa was arrested at the scene.

Ngoepe said the woman ran away from the bar lounge when the shooting started.

— African Eye News Service, May 2, 2000.