Murder trial to start
2003-03-11 14:07
Nelspruit - A case - which has been dragging on for two years -implicating members of the notorious vigilante group Mapoga-A-Mathamaga in a farmer's murder, will finally go to trial in the high court in Johannesburg in April.
The trial was initially meant to be held this week, but the defence team asked for more time to prepare and the case was set down for April 22 to 25.
Lucky Nkosi, Moses Mbhoshane and a Mpumalanga contractor Dean van Coller are implicated in the gruesome murder of Willie van Heerden, 73 of Honeybird Farm in Louw's Creek near Kaapmuiden on November 29, 2000.
The occupants of a passing sedan pumped 13 bullets into Van Heerden's body at Karino outside Nelspruit about 06:00 on that day.
Police said the incident might have been related to business differences and it appeared that the killers were hired hitmen.
Van Coller is out on R10 000 bail while his co-accused are out on R5 000 bail each. They have not been asked to plead on murder charges.
Another vigilante who was jailed for life for feeding his victim to crocodiles at the Olifants River near Hoedspruit in Limpopo has already testified against the accused.
Pierre Maritz (33) gave damning evidence against the three at Graskop High Court in October last year.
Maritz was jailed for life with Sedelis Seweya after they were found guilty of kidnapping Enoch Mogane from his Pilgrim's Rest home on December 28, 2000.
They forced him to jump into the crocodile-infested Olifants River where crocodiles ate him alive. His body was never recovered.
Mogane is the older brother of the 19-year-old golf caddy Prince Mogane who is serving a life sentence for killing British tourist Diane Conway in Pilgrim's Rest last year. - African Eye News Service