Popular pastor dies in mystery circumstances
Burnt body found on farm after hijacking
THE last words Martin Beneke spoke to his family were that he had been hijacked, hours before his burnt body was found on a remote farm, metres from his car.
Police and Beneke’s family are now trying to figure out why the 45-yearold Roodepoort pastor was allegedly kidnapped and murdered on Tuesday.
To find out who could be behind the crime, Beneke’s father Karel believes, police need to find two males who were seen in a Nissan Nivara double cab metres away from where Martin’s body was found.
“Somebody was very upset for some reason,” said Beneke.
The discovery of Martin’s body on Tuesday afternoon on a remote farm in Magaliesburg ended a frantic search by his family, who for hours had tried desperately to track his cellphone.
Speaking to The Saturday Star yesterday, Beneke said the family had become concerned when he failed to return from Helpmekaar college, where his daughter and other matrics were preparing for their farewell dance.
“Then he sent a Whatsapp voice message to his brother asking him to trace his cellphone because he had been hijacked,” Beneke said, adding that the family began using an app to trace his son’s phone.
The trace led the family to Cosmos City, where the trail went dead.
Then the Beneke family received news from the Magaliesberg police station that Martin’s body and burnt vehicle had been found.
“Martin was found about two metres from the car, he was lying on his stomach, his hands and fingers had been burnt,” said Beneke.
On Wednesday Beneke visited the site of the crime and spoke to a farmer’s wife who said she saw two males acting suspiciously on a dirt road.
“A Navara double cab, with MP numbers, passed her at high speed and she saw there were two large white males in the car.”
Later she passed the bakkie, which was reversing into a farm entrance.
The woman had gone to pick up her children from a bus stop. It was while she was at the bus stop that she and others noticed smoke. A farmer went to investigate and happened on the gruesome crime scene. The Navara had apparently been sighted 80 metres from where Martin’s body was discovered.
Beneke said his sonin-law visited the site and found Martin’s glasses and two bullets lying in the ash.
“I dont know why the police did not find this.”
Police spokesperson Lieutenant Kay Makhubela has appealed to anyone to come forward if they have any information about the crime.
While t he Beneke family search for answers, hundreds of tributes have poured in for the popular preacher, who also a well known pigeon fancier.
A letter from the Transvaal Racing Pigeon Federation (TRPF), said Beneke, sums up who his son was.
“This giant of a man beamed with style and self confidence. His clothes were immaculate and he came across as a true gentlemen, well-spoken without being intimidating. He was gentle and always respectable,” wrote Johan Boshoff, the secretary of the TRPF. DEFENCE counsel for terror accused twins Brandon-Lee and Tony-Lee Thulsieyesterday told the Johannesburg High Court that she intended to challenge the constitutionality of the Terrorism Act.
In pretrial proceedings, Attorney Annelene van den Heever told Judge Raylene Keightley that she would be submitting a constitutional defence application, which would challenge the South African Terrorism Act, with which her clients were being charged.
“Prepare a pretrial draft with time lines,” Judge Keightley ordered, adding that the issue would be dealt with at the accused’s next appearance.
Van Den Heever said she would make other pretrial applications, which include further disclosure, access to witnesses and physical evidence from the forensic laboratory.
She also said that she was unhappy with the media showing visuals of the accused as she felt this could have an impact on evidence.
Judge Keightley said thatthere was already photographs of the twins in the press.
However, State prosecutor, Chris MacAdam, countered the defence saying that there were no identification issues with showing images of the Thulsie twins.
He said the images that were used by the media previously were googled and some were obtained in court files, but were not a “representation of their current standing”.
The twins have been behind bars since they were arrested in July 2016. They’re suspected of plotting terrorist attacksand attempting to join ISIL.
The matter was postponed to 27 October. – ANA