Coffin assault victim’s mom relieved as pair denied bail
AS the magistrate began explaining his decision not to grant bail to the two men accused of kidnapping her son and placing him in a coffin, Lonea Mlotshwa felt she might faint.
“When I’m nervous my blood pressure heats up and I almost fainted because my heart was beating at an abnormal pace,” she said.
But she breathed a sigh of relief when it became clear that Theo Martins Jackson and Willem Oosthuizen would remain behind bars.
Mlotshwa had ended up in hospital following Jackson and Oosthuizen’s first court appearance.
Yesterday, magistrate Jongilizwe Dumehleli said it was clear that the assault on Rethabile Victor Mlotshwa had been inspired by racism.
Dumehleli spend two hours delivering his verdict in the bail application of the two assault accused.
The men allegedly forced Mlotshwa into a coffin and threatened to kill him.
The incident was recorded on camera and caused national outrage, leading to their arrest last month.
The two had abandoned an initial bail application, citing safety concerns, but last week returned to court requesting release on bail.
Dumehleli said it was not in the interest of justice for Jackson and Oosthuizen to get bail.
In affidavits before the court the two men claimed that they had attacked Mlotshwa because he was stealing copper cables.
Delivering the verdict, Dumehleli said it was strange that the two accused were able to film the assault but not the copper cables.
“None of the applicants explain what happened to the copper cables.
“They also knew where the police station is.
“They never brought the copper cables to the police station for safe custody,” Dumehleli said.
The applicants, he said had been economical in explaining why they were in possession of a coffin.
“Since there is no evidence that the applicants own a funeral parlour, nor were they preparing for a funeral, I’m only left with grave concern,” he said.
Dumehleli said he was disappointed that the police had not conducted forensic tests on the coffin.
The two will remain in custody until January 25 for their trial date.