Latest news with #MiddelburgHighCourt
The Citizen
5 days ago
- The Citizen
Cross-examination of state witness in eight accused murder trial continues
Cross-examination of state witness Sibonelo Vilakazi continued at the Middelburg High Court today. Zenzele Mzikayise Yende (48), Werner Potgieter (48), Moses Dlamini (59), Masodeni Elliot Msongelwa Dlamini (61), Cornelius Lourens Greyling (26), Sikhumbuzo Zikalala Nhlabathi (25), Mzwakhe Dlamini (48), and Nkosinathi Msibi (26) are accused of the alleged murder of Sifiso Thwala and Musa Nene, and the alleged attempted murder of Sthembiso Thwala on August 9, 2020. They are also facing kidnapping charges. Vilakazi was being questioned by opposing counsel on his statement he made to Warrant Officer Nhlapo and his evidence in court. Counsel said his statement and his evidence in court were contradictory because in his statement, he did not mention who took out one of the victims from the Toyota Corolla to be assaulted, but mentioned in court that it was Nkosinathi. Vilakazi responded by saying the only error he made was forgetting to mention that aspect, but that it was indeed Nkosinathi who took out one of the victims from the car. He further added that at the time he made the statement, he could not recall certain aspects of the incident, but he now had a clearer memory of what transpired that day. According to opposing counsel, Vilakazi's evidence in court contradicted his statement to Nhlapo on various aspects. Vilakazi replied that on the day he made the statement, Nhlapo told him he may forget some of the things that happened that day, but advised him that should he remember anything, he must mention it in court, but be careful not to mention things that never happened. Vilakazi had testified in court previously that on the night of the incident, Msongelwa instructed him and Nkosinathi to fetch rocks for him, which they did. Msongelwa then allegedly took one of the rocks, placed it on the ground, took Thwala's foot, and placed it on the rock. He then allegedly proceeded to take another rock and hit Thwala on the foot, multiple times, until he bled. It was Msongelwa who allegedly used pliers on Thwala to further assault him. Counsel then asked Vilakazi why he didn't say in his statement that it was he and Nkosinathi who fetched the rocks and took off Thwala's shoes. Instead, Vilakazi told Nhlapo that it was Msongelwa who did that. Vilakazi responded that the officer must have recorded it wrong, because he told Nhlapo that he and Nkosinathi were the ones who fetched the rocks and took off Thwala's shoes, on Msongelwa's instruction. Counsel then told him that the contradictions in his evidence in court and his statement were lies. Vilakazi replied by insisting that he had never told lies, although some confusion might be there between the two statements. More witnesses are expected to testify next week, as the trial is ongoing.
The Citizen
23-07-2025
- The Citizen
Chilling testimony heard in court of horror that led to murder
Proceedings in the trial of the eight murder accused continued today in the Middelburg High Court, with Sibonelo Vilakazi giving his testimony. The group is accused of the alleged murder of Sifiso Thwala and Musa Nene, and the alleged attempted murder of Sthembiso Thwala on August 9, 2020. They are also facing kidnapping charges. The accused are Zenzela Mzikayise Yende (48), Werner Potgieter (48), Moses Dlamini (59), Masodeni Elliot Msongelwa Dlamini (61), Cornelius Lourens Greyling (26), Sikhumbuzo Zikalala Nhlabathi (25), Mzwakhe Dlamini (48), and Nkosinathi Msibi (26). Vilakazi testified that after the use of pliers to assault one of the victims, the gruesome attack on the victims continued, with one of the accused allegedly using the thicker side of a sjambok to assault a victim. He said that Greyling arrived shortly after, and allegedly ordered one of the victims to stand up. The victim allegedly tried to use Greyling's leg to gain balance to stand, and was told, 'You are making me dirty,' and subsequently was shoved by Greyling, who then allegedly proceeded to kick him in the head repeatedly. According to Vilakazi, one of the victims, who was also the driver of the suspicious Toyota Corolla, was asked how long they had been stealing sheep for, to which the driver responded that he didn't know anything about stealing sheep. Vilakazi added that one of the accused instructed the driver to be taken to the car boot to see the sheep, alleged to be stolen by the victims. He testified that he, Siphesihle Mchunu, and another accused helped carry the driver over to the boot, and said the driver was unable to walk due to the nature of his injuries. Upon arrival at the boot, the driver allegedly still insisted that he knew nothing of the sheep and suggested that the sheep were planted there by the accused. One of the accused allegedly said the driver was being stubborn and suggested the driver be put in the boot with the sheep. Vilakazi then added that they pushed the driver's head into the boot, where one of the accused subsequently started assaulting the driver with the boot door, hitting him several times on his back and head. Vilakazi said that at some point, one of the victims begged to be given his phone from the car, so he could contact his mother, as he could tell he was about to be killed. He further testified that a cattle prodder was allegedly used at one point to electrocute the victims. Vilakazi told the court that after the alleged torture of the victims, one of the accused instructed that the victims be taken to a river to get cleaned. He added that they proceeded to put the victims back in their car, and Mchunu drove with the victims to a place called 'Vanhuis', where they were allegedly going to clean them up. Upon arriving at the location, he added that two of the accused carried the victims to a nearby tap and used a wet cloth to wash the blood from their faces. One of the accused allegedly used Vaseline on the victims' faces and said that he wanted them to be 'beautiful when the police came'. He added that he, Siphesihle, Zenzele Coka, and another accused were left behind to guard the victims, and the rest of the accused left the scene. According to Vilakazi, they realised towards the early morning that two of the victims in the car were no longer alive. They called Potgieter, who later arrived, and the other accused also went back to the scene. Police officers were already waiting at the gate for them. Vilakazi told the court that Potgieter pulled them aside and said in Zulu, 'A ngenile amanzi endlini,' meaning 'trouble is here'. He alleges that Potgieter then assured them not to be scared, as he would hire a lawyer, who is famous all over the country, to help them. Vilakazi stated that Potgieter told them that when they give their statements, they should not mention that he and his son, Greyling, were on the scene because there are people who are against them as white people, which will prolong the case. He said that Potgieter told them exactly what to say in their statements to the lawyer. Vilakazi further testified that a few days later, they were taken to a police station, where they were subsequently arrested. From there, they were taken to Piet Retief Magistrate's Court for their appearance, however, Vilakazi said they never appeared in court and were released the same day. • Various photos from the scene of the incident were shown as evidence in court, depicting the gruesome nature of the alleged attack and the extent of injuries suffered by the victims, telling a story of horror. The matter was adjourned for more testimonies. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
The Citizen
22-07-2025
- The Citizen
Middelburg court hears gruesome testimony in murder case
The trial of eight men facing charges of murder, attempted murder, and kidnapping commenced yesterday in the Middelburg High Court, with further witness testimonies heard today. The accused are: Zenzela Mzikayise Yende (48), Werner Potgieter (48), Moses Dlamini (59), Masodeni Elliot Msongelwa Dlamini (61), Cornelius Lourens Greyling (26), Sikhumbuzo Zikalala Nhlabathi (25), Mzwakhe Dlamini (48), and Nkosinathi Msibi (26). They are alleged to have been involved in the brutal attack on three men, which resulted in the deaths of Sifiso Thwala and Musa Nene on 9 August 2020. The third victim survived. Station Commander Captain Elfas Jabulani Gwebu testified that on August 10, 2020, he attended a scene where he found a red Toyota Corolla with an open boot at a farm. In the boot he saw two sheep. When he went towards the backseat of the car, he said he saw two black men who appeared to be dead, and a third one in the front passenger seat who appeared to be alive. Gwebu further added that he saw a group of men and walked up to them to introduce himself. He asked the men what had happened, and said that Werner Potgieter, one of the accused, allegedly responded that the men who knew what had happened would give their statements through a lawyer. Sibonelo Vilakazi, one of the witnesses called by the State, told the court that he was employed by Potgieter to guard his sheep and was on duty on the day of the incident. Vilakazi testified that a suspicious vehicle was spotted driving around where the sheep were kept. He added that upon seeing the vehicle, he called other people to ask them if they had seen the suspicious car, which they all agreed to have seen. Vilakazi further testified that Zenzela Yende, who worked as a supervisor on the farm, was called and told about the car after they could not reach Potgieter on the phone. He said they searched the suspicious vehicle and only found car tools in the boot. The group then allegedly started assaulting the three men in the car upon the arrival of Potgieter and Yende. The three men were allegedly slapped and questioned as to what they were doing on the farm. Vilakazi said they tied up the three men and continued assaulting them. He added that they did not find anything in the car and were then informed by Potgieter to go and fetch two sheep and put them in the car to make it look like the victims were actually on the farm to steal. This was allegedly done so that when the police arrived, they could arrest the victims. More accused were allegedly fetched from nearby houses to come and assault the victims further. He testified that one of the accused instructed them to fetch rocks, which were allegedly used to assault one of the victims on his foot. He added that different tools were used by the other accused, such as sjamboks, a knobkerrie, and pliers. One of the accused allegedly used pliers to pinch a victim on the ears, his inner thighs, and scrotum. Potgieter allegedly told them not to hit the victims on the head as they belonged to the government. Vilakazi added that he did not know what Potgieter meant by that. • The case was adjourned for more testimony from the witness. The matter is ongoing for trial. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
The Citizen
22-07-2025
- The Citizen
8 on trial for the murders of alleged livestock thieves on Piet Retief farm
8 on trial for the murders of alleged livestock thieves on Piet Retief farm The trial of eight men accused of the brutal murders of Sifiso Thwala and Musa Nene, who were assaulted after being accused of livestock theft, is underway in the Middelburg High Court. According to Middelburg Observer, the trial commenced yesterday with all eight accused pleading not guilty to charges of murder, attempted murder, kidnapping, and defeating the ends of justice. Proceedings are expected to continue today, when the state will begin leading evidence in support of its case. The accused are alleged to have been involved in the brutal attack on three individuals, resulting in the deaths of Thwala and Nene on August 9, 2020. The third victim survived. The accused are Zenzela Mzikayise Yende (48), Werner Potgieter (48), Moses Dlamini (59), Masodeni Elliot Msongelwa Dlamini (61), Cornelius Lourens Greyling (26), Sikhumbuzo Zikalala Nhlabathi (25), Mzwakhe Dlamini (48), and Nkosinathi Msibi (26). According to the allegations, the victims were travelling from Daggakraal to Driefontein when they were attacked by a group of men, assaulted, and taken to a storage facility on Pampoenkraal farm, near Piet Retief, where the alleged crimes occurred. The matter has been placed on the court roll until mid-September. Breaking news at your fingertips… Follow Caxton Network News on Facebook and join our WhatsApp channel. Nuus wat saakmaak. Volg Caxton Netwerk-nuus op Facebook en sluit aan by ons WhatsApp-kanaal. Read original story on At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
The Citizen
12-07-2025
- The Citizen
Middelburg court jails security guard for shooting municipal workers
Nqubeko Brian Mchunu (43) was yesterday sentenced in the Middelburg High Court for the 2022 shooting of municipal workers at the Steve Tshwete Local Municipality. According to Middelburg Observer, Mchunu was employed as a security guard by PPP Protection and Security, a company hired to protect municipal infrastructure during a spate of strikes that, at times, turned violent, with the assault of contractors and damage to vehicles. He was convicted of one count of murder for the shooting death of Tshepo Maseko and three counts of attempted murder in respect of Sarel Vilakazi, Harris Sithole and Sibusiso Thabang. Acting Judge GB Herman, in sentencing, said Mchunu had shown no remorse during the trial, insisting he only shot the victims to protect himself. He added that the lives of the victims would never be the same again and that those who lost a loved one would remain with only memories. Mchunu was sentenced to 25 years for murder. He received 14 years for three counts of attempted murder (seven years on each count). The sentences will run concurrently. He will serve 25 years' imprisonment. The court also declared him unfit to possess a firearm. Members of the South African Municipal Workers' Union and the victims said that although they were disappointed by the number of years Mchunu received, they were grateful he had been punished for his acts. Breaking news at your fingertips… Follow Caxton Network News on Facebook and join our WhatsApp channel. Nuus wat saakmaak. Volg Caxton Netwerk-nuus op Facebook en sluit aan by ons WhatsApp-kanaal. Read original story on At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
