Jub Jub shot himself in the foot: State

2012-07-13 16:36

Jub Jub (File, Sapa)

Johannesburg - Musician Molemo "Jub Jub" Maarohanye had shot himself in the foot with his testimony on a crash that killed four pupils in Soweto in 2010, the Protea Magistrate's Court heard on Friday.

In closing argument, the State told the court that Maarohanye and co-accused Themba Tshabalala had lied about the details that led to the fatal accident.

"Accused number one [Maarohanye] blamed accused number two, supported by his witnesses who are biased and have an interest in the matter," prosecutor Raymond Mathenjwa said.

"And may I just add that accused number one was an unreliable witness. He was argumentative, evasive and to a great extent...very arrogant, thus shooting himself in the foot."

The two men face charges of murder, attempted murder and driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs.

They were allegedly racing their Mini Coopers when they crashed into a group of schoolchildren in Mdlalose Street, Protea North, on 8 March 2010.

Contradictions

Mathenjwa said Maarohanye had, throughout the trial, contradicted his own statements, as well as those of witnesses.

Maarohanye was firstly accused of "creating" a stop sign.

According to Maarohanye's witnesses, before the collision the two Mini Coopers were travelling parallel as the drivers spoke to each other.

Witnesses at the scene said the cars had stopped in the middle of the road, obstructing traffic.

Maarohanye's witness, who was in his car at the time of the accident, had confirmed this in his testimony and had never mentioned a stop sign.

Mathenjwa said it was also questionable that Maarohanye and Tshabalala claimed they were not friends but acquaintances, who had not seen one another in the four to five days before the crash.

Drugs

The State then questioned how or why the two had similar substances found in their urine samples following the collision.

Mathenjwa also questioned Maarohanye's denying he took drugs and saying he had never seen anyone taking drugs, except in films.

"Where then did he get the drugs? He later said 'no, I've been in an environment where drugs were taken', contradicting his initial statement," said Mathenjwa.

The musician had later said he could have had traces of the drugs in his system as a result of secondary smoke.

Mathenjwa said Maarohanye had also apparently lied about blacking out during the accident.

He had first said he blacked out after hitting a kerb, then later said he had blacked out after hitting the kerb and rolling his car. In a third explanation, he said he had hit the kerb, rolled the car, hit a tree and then blacked out.

At the time, Maarohanye was telling the court how he knew he had not hit any of the boys who were killed in the crash.

Closing arguments continue.

- SAPA