High bail set for 'killer' kids
2003-03-10 18:01
Standerton - Bail of between R10 000 and R20 000 was granted to six high school pupils and a 22-year-old man on Monday who allegedly beat a man to death in Standerton, Mpumalanga.
A bail amount of R20 000 was set in the local magistrate's court for the elder man, Willem Bezuidenhout, said police spokesperson Captain Sibongile Nkosi.
Two pupils - Gustav Lindeque, 19, and Gerhard Moll, 18 - had to pay R15 000 each to be released from custody. Bail of R10 000 each was set for the other four boys.
The four - of whom three are 17 years old and the fourth 16 - cannot be identified because they are minors. Like Moll and Lindeque they are high school pupils.
The seven accused face charges of murder and assault with the intent to do grievous bodily harm.
The victim, Johnny van Zyl-Ntuli, was apparently murdered in a house under construction in Standerton on the night of February 18. His girlfriend found his body the next morning.
Van Zyl-Ntuli suffered injuries to his head and body.
Nkosi said Bezuidenhout was arrested about a week later. He made a confession before a magistrate, which led to the arrest of the school boys last Wednesday.
The minors were released into their parents' custody on Friday, while Lindeque, Moll and Bezuidenhout were held in the police cells.
The case was postponed until April 11 for further investigation.
- SAPA