New murder trial for mayor?

2008-07-17 22:52

Johannesburg - Bushbuckridge mayor Milton Morema did not hand himself over to police as expected on Thursday, Mpumalanga police said.

The Director for Public Prosecution (DPP) gave instruction for Morema's re-arrest after his murder case was struck off the roll by Acornhoek magistrate George Rasimiti - following a state request for a postponement for further investigations.

Morema, 41, failed to arrive with his lawyer in Polokwane where the case had been moved, said spokesperson Leonard Hlathi.

"The decision was taken by the National Prosecutions Authority (NPA)...we don't know why, we just follow."

Hlathi said the NPA was looking into the matter and the reasons for the withdrawal of such serious allegations.

Unearthed human remains

Morema and his uncle, Erasmas Makhubedu, was alleged to have killed Jeffrey Sedibe when he tried to claim R17 000, allegedly promised to him for killing a political opponent - Motion Mashile, 36.

Bushbuckridge residents were dissatisfied at the manner in which the magistrate had handled the case, said Hlathi. Other allegations were that he was covering up for both the police and the accused.

A complaint was laid with the Independent Complaints Directorate and last week residents demanded that Morema's case be re-instated.

Police unearthed human remains suspected to be that of Sedibe who disappeared four years ago.

The remains have been sent to Pretoria for DNA tests and results were still unknown.

"We've gathered more evidence apart from the DNA, hence the DPP felt we had enough to work with," Hlathi said.

- SAPA