eMkhondo murders: 'Cops tried to force us to implicate white farmers,' accused tells court

 

South Africa: eMkhondo murders: 'Cops tried to force us to implicate white farmers,' accused tells court

A farmworker accused of murder has told the Piet Retief Magistrate's Court in eMkhondo that police threatened them and tried to force them to implicate "white farmers" in a murder case. 

Zenzele Yende applied for bail along with his seven co-accused on Thursday. 

He testified that they were previously told by the investigating officers to stop "protecting white farmers".

Yende, Werner Potgieter, Eliot Dlamini, Moses Dlamini, Cornelius Greyling, Sikhumbuzo Zikalala, Mzwakhe Dlamini and Nkosinathi Msibi applied for bail before Magistrate Dumisani Nxumalo. They faced charges of murder, attempted murder, kidnapping and defeating the ends of justice. 

News24 previously reported that three men - Christopher Sthembiso Thwala, Sifiso Joseph Thwala and Musa France Nene - were allegedly assaulted on Pampoenkraal farm near Dirkiesdorp on 9 August 2020. Sifiso and Nene died, while Christopher survived. 

The men were reportedly driving in a red Toyota Corolla between Dirkiesdorp and Driefontein and were accused of stealing sheep, according to the police. The men had stopped when their vehicle got stuck after getting a puncture.

They got out of the vehicle, but two other vehicles with the suspects reportedly emerged and started questioning them, police added. 

Yende, Potgieter, and Greyling were out on bail for the murder of Zenzele and Mgcini Coka in April.

The Coka brothers were killed after farmworkers and owners clashed on Pampoenkraal.

While it is alleged that Christopher, Sifiso and Musa were stuck and later assaulted by the accused, the affidavits of the eight accused have painted a different picture of what may have transpired on the evening.

The accused have denied their involvement in the charges they faced.

Guards

Applying for bail through an affidavit read to the court by his legal representative, Yende said that on the evening of 9 August 2020, he received a call from a group of guards who patrolled the farm informing him there was a suspicious vehicle driving up and down the road near the farm. 

Yende said he was responsible for the security on the farm and supervised all security guards employed. 

Potgieter employed the guards and watched over cattle and sheep at the farm, which stretched approximately 30 000 hectares. 

The farmworker also told the court that the farm faced a challenge of stock theft and lost up to 100 sheep per night. 

Ten to 12 guards were stationed to patrol the farm every night as a result, the farmworker said. 

He told the court that he was previously arrested on 11 August 2020, together with four other farmworkers for the same matter.

But the matter was withdrawn before they could appear in court. 

"I have to inform the court further that during our detention, members of the investigating team approached us and threatened us that they would pressurise us until we implicate the white farmers that are now alleged to be involved in the incident that allegedly led to the death of two," Yende's affidavit said, adding:

They further accused us, that we are protecting the white people and they are not looking for us but for the white people. I deny that any 'white farmer' was involved.

Going back to the evening of 9 August, Yende said he was informed of a suspicious vehicle driving near the farm. 

He then drove toward where the vehicle was spotted and when he approached it, its lights were switched off, but they then went back on. 

Yende said he pulled in front of the vehicle, in an attempt to stop its occupants from driving off. Three men alighted and fled, but Yende, along with other guards, later caught and apprehended them. 

He said there were two live sheep in the boot of the vehicle. 

"We then proceeded to the yard at Pampoenkraal with the three occupants of the suspicious vehicle who were now detained, together with the suspicious vehicle."

He said he left the men with other guards to attend to another report. But during the early hours of the morning of 10 August 2020, there was a "problem". 

During the early morning hours, I received a report from the guards who I had left with the three occupants and the suspicious vehicle that there is a problem at Pampoenkraal. They did not explain the problem they had.

"I duly informed my employer Mr Potgieter that he must attend to Pampoenkraal as I am also on my way there. This was at approximately 6:50 on the morning of 10 August 2020," Yende said. 

The court heard that Msibi, who was left with the detained men, went to check on them and found two of them not breathing. He told the court he was unaware how they had stopped breathing. 

Yende said when he arrived along with Potgieter and his son, Greyling, they found doors of the vehicle opened and also found two of the men dead and one alive. Potgieter attempted to call the police, but he was unsuccessful and drove to the police station while Yende and other guards remained behind at the scene. 

"I therefore emphatically deny that I was involved in the committal of any offence," Yende said.

In his affidavit, Potgieter said: "With regard to the allegations regarding this matter that allegedly occurred on the 9th of August 2020, I can categorically state that I was not present when the alleged crimes were committed ... " 

He said that he had attended to another incident of cattle theft with Greyling on the evening of  9 August and only attended to the situation in question on 10 August in the morning.

"That was the first time I saw the two deceased and the third person as well as the red sedan vehicle. I also saw that there were two live sheep in the boot of the vehicle," Potgieter said. 

The bail hearing continues.

https://www.news24.com/news24/southafrica/news/emkhondo-murders-cops-tried-to-force-us-to-implicate-white-farmers-accused-tells-court-20210603