No blood in bakkie slain teen was driven in
Key witness tells court about the hell ride that led to the death of Mosweu
The bakkie that carried slain Coligny teenager Matlhomola Mosweu, who was allegedly killed by two North West farm workers, did not have blood stains.
This was the testimony of provincial organised crime head Brigadier Clifford Kgorane at the North West High Court in Mahikeng yesterday.
He also said key witness Bonakele Pakisi told him that the accused, Pieter Dooreward, 27, and Phillip Schutte, 34, had taken him to a local dam with the intention to kill him.
Kgorane was cross-examined by advocate Hennie du Plessis following the inspection of the locations where the alleged crimes took place in Coligny on Monday.
Pakisi pointed out crime scenes on Monday where the two allegedly drove him and 16-year-old Mosweu
Kgorane told the court the police only seized the bakkie five days after the incident happened. He said he was called to Coligny when there were violent protests following Mosweu’s death.
Kgorane said he was told by officers that there was a person who saw the incident but they believed he was not mentally stable.
He said he was embarrassed that the police first opened an inquest instead of a murder docket, despite the fact there was a key witness.
He said he was also disappointed that police did not seize the bakkie immediately after the incident.
After taking charge of the case, Kgorane took Pakisi back to the scene to make his own analysis. He then changed the case from an inquest to murder.
Kgorane told the court that after taking over, he requested the bakkie be seized but at that time there were no blood stains found on it.
Mosweu was allegedly caught stealing sunflower seeds by the accused at the farm Rietvlei on April 20 last year.
Pakisi testified that he saw the teen on the the back of the bakkie crying. He alleged that the accused drove with Mosweu and threw him from the moving bakkie. He was then put back into the bakkie.
This happened more than once. He said Mosweu was seriously injured as a result.
He said when the accused saw him they roughed him up and put him on the back of the bakkie with Mosweu.
Pakisi claimed he was also made to drink alcohol and walk to different places on the farm. He said the accused asked him what he saw and he told them that he had seen nothing.
He said he was allegedly threatened not to say what he saw or they would kill him. His cellphone was also taken from him.
The accused dropped him off and drove away with the severely injured Mosweu, he testified.
The next morning, the accused allegedly went to Pakisi’s house and threatened him further.
According to the specialist forensic pathologist who conducted the postmortem, Mosweu died due to blunt force trauma to the neck.