10 in court for farm attacks
2006-06-26 15:58
Johannesburg - Ten people appeared in the Carolina magistrate's court in connection with three farm attacks during June, Mpumalanga police said on Monday.
Superintendent Izak van Zyl said the Mpumalanga serious and violent crime unit made the arrests, some in White River and Nelspruit.
The accused were: Vusi Makabane, 22, and his brother Jan Makabane, 25, Sipho Nyamane, 24, Jacob Mavuso, 25, Charlie Mahlangu, 22, Beki Hadebe, 19, July Nkabinde, 25, Thomas Magagula, 18, Dumisani Gwebu, 19, and Goodman Bhoembe, 19.
Control prosecutor Antoinette Klopper confirmed that the group appeared in court in two separate cases.
The attacks took place on June 11, 13 and 19.
In the last attack, Thys Boshoff, 66, was shot dead and his wife was shot in the hand when they tried to keep attackers out of their home.
Nobody was killed or seriously injured in the other two attacks.
In one, security guards on the farm Drenthe were attacked and forced to hand over weapons. Two of these weapons were used in the attack on Boshoff.
Van Zyl said six of the suspects were charged with Boshoff's murder. Some of these six also face charges of armed robbery with the other four in connection with the other two attacks.
"There are definitely links" between the incidents, said Van Zyl.
Police also confiscation six firearms and some ammunition. Items stolen from the farms were also recovered, but not the Boshoffs' vehicle.
The 10 were remanded in custody and the case was postponed to July 3.
- SAPA