/ 17 December 2010

Jub Jub trial to resume in February

The murder trial of musician Molemo “Jub Jub” Maarohanye was postponed in the Protea Magistrate’s Court on Friday.

The trial is due to resume on February 8.

The state called its fourth witness on Friday to testify about the accident which killed four pupils and injured two others on March 8.

Selina Dasheka, neighbour of one of the victims, gave a detailed recollection of the accident.

She told the court that Maarohanye and his co-accused, Themba Tshabalala, had been racing shortly before their cars collided and lost control.

Andile Mtombeni, Phomelelo Masemelo, Mlungisi Cwayi and Prince Mahube were killed while walking from school.

Fumani Mushanana (17) and Frank Mlabo (18) suffered serious injuries, including brain damage.

Maarohanye and Tshabalala were forced out of an ambulance to make way for seriously injured pupils shortly after the crash, the Protea Magistrates’ Court heard.

“They could walk on their own and the children were lying on the floor,” Dasheka testified.

She said a group of residents at the scene removed the two men from the ambulance and allowed the injured children to be taken to hospital.

Dasheka said the musician left his car and did not check the extent to which the children were injured.

“The group of people fetched him while he was leaving the scene and told him to wait for the police and face what he had done.”

Dasheka earlier testified that she could not recognise her neighbour’s child who was allegedly hit by Maarohanye’s car.

“The kids’ [bodies] looked so scary as they were bleeding. I just couldn’t look at them,” said Dasheka, who was walking on the road when the accident happened.

“He grew up in front of me, but I didn’t recognise him as I was crying.”

Her neighbour, the mother of Cwayi, had come to her to ask for information about the accident.

“Mlungisi’s mother came to my house and asked me what the children who were killed in the accident were wearing,” the court heard.

Dasheka said the mother started crying when she told her that the children were wearing red school jerseys.

“She started crying and she punched me so hard that I could not catch my breath and then stormed out of my house.”

On March 9 Dasheka accompanied her to the police station when Cwayi had not come home. It was there that Cwayi’s death was confirmed. — Sapa