The Afrikaner Weerstandsbeweging (AWB) wants Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa to stop intelligence agencies from spreading “false information” about the murder of its leader, Eugene Terre’Blanche.
AWB spokesperson Andre Visagie said the right-wing organisation would raise its concerns with Mthethwa over reports that Terre’Blanche had been involved in a homosexual relationship with his attackers before he was murdered on his farm last Saturday.
“We want to speak to the minister about this,” Visagie said. “We want him to stop the intelligence services from this … because they are starting a war. Our people are becoming more and more angry.”
Visagie said reports that Terre’Blanche had been involved in sodomy were “ridiculous” and an attempt to put off the thousands of new members that had been signing up to join the AWB since the murder.
“They are trying to create a bad perception about Mr Terre’Blanche, but all they are doing is making our people more and more angry,” he said.
“First there were reports that [this was a] racist murder and then there were reports that there was a pay dispute and now there are these allegations of sodomy.
“We want to know what is going on here.”
Mthethwa’s spokesperson, Zweli Mnisi, said a date for a meeting with the AWB was still to be set, but that it would possibly be held in the coming weeks.
The Hawks have confirmed that they are investigating whether Terre’Blanche’s death had been a sex crime, but spokesperson Musa Zondi said other possibilities, including a dispute over pay, were also being considered.
Zondi said clothes worn by the two suspects, 28-year-old Chris Mahlangu and a 15-year-old boy, who cannot be named, on the day of the murder were sent for forensic investigations.
Denial
Zondi denied a report that a used condom was found in the room where Terre’Blanche’s body was found.
North West police spokesperson Adele Myburgh, who was first to quash the allegations that a used condom had been found on the scene, said she had been taken off the Terre’Blanche case.
Myburgh had come out strongly denying the allegations.
“There was no condom found on the scene of the late Mr Eugene Terre’Blanche. I’m prepared to put my neck in a guillotine and you can have a go at it if I have been lying,” she told the South African Press Association on Saturday.
The Sunday Times reported that Mahlangu, through his lawyer, claimed to have been sodomised by Terre’Blanche.
The newspaper quoted attorney Puna Moroko as saying: “My instructions from my client are that there was some sodomy going on and it sparked the murder of Mr Terre’Blanche. This is going to form part of our defence during trial.”
Moroko claimed that Terre’Blanche had tried to get the accused drunk before he allegedly tried to have sex with them.
Mahlangu and the minor have since been charged with murder, house breaking and robbery with aggravating circumstances and attempted robbery with aggravating circumstances.
They appeared in court on Tuesday and their case was postponed to April 14. The two had not yet pleaded to the charges.
Access to the trial
Meanwhile, several media groups have initiated legal proceedings for access to the trial of the two accused of killing Terre’Blanche, Media 24 said on Monday.
“Media 24 has indeed initiated legal proceedings to gain access to the court hearing,” spokesperson Lutfia Vayej said.
“In this regard, we have approached Dario Milo of Webber Wentzel [attorneys] based in Johannesburg. They are also acting on behalf of a number of parties, including the South African National Editors Forum and e.tv who, have applied for similar access.”
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said media access was up to the Ventersdorp Magistrate’s Court.
“Bottom line is that it’s up to the courts to decide,” spokesperson Mthunzi Mhaga said. “But they would call on us to find out our attitude on this.”
He said if the NPA received any requests, they would be sent to the court.
Business Day editor Peter Bruce suggested in his column on Monday that the trial could be opened to the media in the same manner as President Jacob Zuma’s rape trial. The bench, prosecutors and defence could simply agree to call the minor X, as they had done to the accuser in the rape trial, and forbid any pictures being taken.
Mhaga said this possibility had not been discussed, but requests could be made to the court. — Sapa