Pandemonium broke out at the Protea Magistrate’s Court on Friday after Molemo “Jub Jub” Maarohanye and his co-accused Themba Tshabalala’s case was postponed.
Following their brief appearance on charges of murder, reckless driving and driving under the influence of alcohol, the families of the four schoolchildren killed in the March car accident rounded on Jub Jub as he tried to leave the court.
As one of the schoolchildren’s mothers cried, the group of relatives and friends of the deceased ran after him, stretching their arms out to try and catch him as they screamed and swore at him.
Policemen tried to shield him but the crowd tried to push the police aside and continued trying to grab him.
Police managed to get Jub Jub out of the court building and took him to the neighbouring police station. He was expected to be escorted out of the area.
Diniswa Khambule, grandmother of Prince Mahobe who died in the crash that led to the charges, said the women in court were some of the mothers who were seeing the people accused of their children’s deaths for the first time.
“We will kill him … he must come and apologise,” said Khambule as the group cried, hugged and consoled each other.
She said there were witnesses who wanted to testify in the case but were either too scared to come forward, or were being turned away by police.
Initially when Jub Jub entered the court, there was no place in the public gallery for him to sit before his case was called and he was placed awkwardly on the same bench as reporters.
His co-accused appeared to have lost weight since his last appearance.
The two would return to the court on July 30 to allow time for further investigation.
There was no mention of a possible amendment of the murder charge.
The accident happened on March 8 when their Mini Coopers crashed and veered off the road, killing the schoolchildren.
The prosecution had said preliminary tests showed the musician had cocaine and morphine in his system, while Tshabalala was twice over the legal alcohol limit.
Both accused were out on R10 000 bail.
The Sowetan reported that 17-year-old Frank Mlambo, one of the children hit during the accident was not able to talk.
“Doctors said his head injuries are so severe that his mental capacity has gone back to that of a two-year-old,” his mother Martha told the publication.
He was discharged from hospital on May 19 after weeks of treatment, which included draining blood from his head.
She said she is “so tired” as her days involve checking on Frank, or finding money for the disposable nappies he now needs.
She also has to care for Frank’s siblings, a one-year-old child and a 14-year-old.
“It is really tough. I cannot work anymore. It is impossible to wake up and go to work when you are physically, emotionally and mentally worn out,” said Mlambo who was a railway security guard and now lives on handouts.
Fumani Mushwana, who also survived the accident, was discharged from hospital on March 24.
He had an operation to the chest and leg and for a while breathed through a tube. – Sapa