Link between Terre'Blanche death, song disputed

2011-05-06 09:37

Johannesburg - There was no proof that the singing of "shoot the boer" was linked to the murder of AWB leader Eugene Terre'Blanche, said a judge in the North Gauteng High Court, according to Beeld on Friday.

Judge Joe Raulinga made this statement while giving the reasons for his ruling on the logistics of the media coverage for the Terre'Blanche murder trial.

He said there had been speculation in the media around a link between the singing of the controversial song and Terre'Blanche's killing.

But based on the facts before him, Raulinga said there was no evidence of a link between the song and the crime.

Protecting minor’s identity

Raulinga had earlier ruled that the media and family and of the slain Afrikaner Weerstandsbeweging (AWB) leader would only be allowed to follow proceedings in an adjoining room with a closed circuit television (CCTV) link to the court.

This was in order to protect the identity of one of the accused, who was a minor, said Raulinga.

Only 16 journalists and four of Terre'Blanche's family members would be allocated seats in the CCTV room.

Last April, the 60-year-old white supremacist leader was bludgeoned to death, allegedly by two of his farm workers, 28-year-old Chris Mahlangu and the minor who cannot be named because of his age.

The trial was expected to start on Monday.

ANC Youth League leader Julius Malema is currently defending the singing of the "shoot the boer" song in a case before the Equality Court, which was brought against him by Afrikaner lobby group AfriForum.
 

- SAPA