Latest news with #TongaMagistrate'sCourt
The Citizen
6 days ago
- The Citizen
Lowveld murder: Accused out on strict bail conditions
The Mpumalanga Division of the High Court has granted bail to murder-accused Sonell Joubert, overturning the Tonga Magistrate's Court's earlier decision to deny her release. According to Lowvelder, Joubert (43) was granted bail of R15 000 with strict conditions in a judgment delivered today. She must attend all court appearances, report to the Tonga Police Station twice a week, notify authorities of any address changes, remain within the district unless permitted, and avoid contact with state witnesses. Should she fail to comply, a warrant for her arrest will be issued immediately, and her bail money will be forfeited to the state. Bail appeal reveals procedural concerns Joubert had appealed her bail refusal, initially denied on February 24. The appeal hearing, presided over by Justice J Vukeya last Thursday, revealed inconsistencies in documentation, leading the judge to request a supplementary affidavit from Joubert's legal representative, Adv Hennie van Rensburg. Judgment was reserved until today. Throughout the case, Joubert has changed attorneys multiple times, including appointing Johannesburg-based lawyer Marco Lamberti, who later withdrew due to non-payment. Details of fatal stabbing Joubert is accused of fatally stabbing Jurgens Nel at Lowhills Farm in the Nkomazi region in early February. On February 1, she approached the KaMhlushwa police, alleging Nel had violated a protection order she had instituted against him. That night, officers visited the farm but did not directly confront Nel, as Joubert and her life partner Johann Möller claimed he was armed and aggressive. According to Van Rensburg, officers remained at the premises from 22:00 to 02:00, observing Nel moving through the house, switching lights on and off. Two days later, on February 3, a group of eight officers, led by investigating officer Sergeant Bonginkosi Given Nguyuza, returned to Lowhills Farm. After retrieving the keys from Joubert and Möller, they entered the house and discovered Nel's body with six stab wounds to the upper body. When questioned, Joubert told police she had stabbed Nel during a fight, during which she sustained a minor cut below her left eye and another on her finger. She was arrested on February 4 and has been in custody since then. Questions over evidence The court raised concerns over the minor injuries Joubert sustained, as well as the missing murder weapon, casting doubt on her account. Additionally, it was revealed that Lowhills Farm had been sold at auction, leaving Joubert without a fixed residence. Joubert attempted to use her ownership of Tswale, a domesticated elephant valued at over R1m, as collateral in her bail argument. Nguyuza responded that he was unfamiliar with elephant auction prices. With strict bail conditions in place, Joubert will remain under close supervision as her case progresses. She is expected to return to court in June, when further evidence, including the post-mortem report and crime scene photo album, will be presented. 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
08-05-2025
- The Citizen
Lowveld murder: Mpumalanga court postpones case again
The murder case against Sonell Joubert (43), who is accused of fatally stabbing Jurgens Nel at Lowhills Farm in the Nkomazi Region, Mpumalanga, early in February, has been postponed to June 26. Joubert was denied bail on February 24, after changing lawyers and submitting two supplementary affidavits in her intention to secure bail. Mpumalanga News reports that at a brief appearance in the Tonga Magistrate's Court today, the court heard that the investigation was finalised and the post-mortem results were available. Joubert was remanded in custody for her docket to be sent to a senior public prosecutor for a decision. The accused had approached the KwaMhlushwa police on February 1, and claimed that Nel had violated the protection order she had against him. Later that night, two police officers went to the farm to attended to the complaint, but did not speak to Nel, as Joubert and her life partner, Johann Möller, told them that he had locked himself in the house and was armed and aggressive. The police left the scene. On February 3, Nguyuza and seven other police members went to Lowhills Farm to look for Nel, only to find him dead with six stab wounds to his upper body. When asked what had happened, Joubert told Nguyuza that she and Nel had had a fight in which she stabbed him with a knife. Joubert was arrested on February 4 after going to the KwaMhlushwa Police Station to provide the investigating officer with a statement. 'When hearing her case, the court found it strange that, during the fight, Joubert had only sustained a small cut below her left eye and on one of her left fingers. Nguyuza told the court that he believed that, although he found the body on Monday, February 3, Nel might have been killed two days prior. It was also revealed that the murder weapon has not been found, resulting in Nguyuza saying Joubert could, therefore, not to be trusted. During today's court appearance, the accused was represented by a new lawyer, Advocate Hennie van Rensburg after her previous lawyer, Marco Lamberti, withdrew from the case because he was not paid for his services. 'I was promised payment after being required to attend the last court appearance, and met with the accused's brother after court. I spent the next two days drafting an appeal but never filed same, as I had not been paid as promised,' Lamberti told Lowvelder after being asked why he was no longer representing Joubert. During the judgment of her bail application, the court heard that she no longer had a residential address, was a flight risk and could interfere with witnesses. 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!
