Uber driver facing murder rap
The suspended Uber driver accused of beating Zalman Orlianski, 71, in an airport brawl will remain in custody until Tuesday.
Magistrate Motlalepula Mogomotsi reserved judgment in the bail application of Tebogo Makhalemele‚ 30, who now faces a murder charge after Orlianski died in hospital on Sunday, a week after the altercation at OR Tambo International Airport over a parking spot left him critically injured.
Orlianski will be buried on Tuesday at Johannesburg’s West Park Jewish Cemetery.
Defence attorney Stanford Singende told the Kempton Park Magistrate’s Court earlier that Makhalemele would plead not guilty.
He said Makhalemele could afford R1‚000 bail.
In his affidavit for his bail application‚ Makhalemele told the court he was a breadwinner and earned R4‚000 a month as an Uber driver.
He spent about R1‚500 to support his seven-year-old daughter and took care of his elderly mother and girlfriend.
He claimed to have acted in self-defence.
But the court heard later that CCTV footage allegedly showed him hitting Orlianski more than 15 times – even when he was helpless.
Makhalemele was initially charged with assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.
Prosecutor Alex Nkosi said the state was opposed to Makhalemele’s release on bail.
“We heard from the [investigating officer] how [Makhalemele] continued to attack an elderly man‚ even when he was helpless.
“The applicant punched the deceased more than 15 times‚” Nkosi told the court.
He said bail must be denied. Nkosi said Makhalemele now faced a murder charge and should remain in custody.
Uber suspended Makhalemele’s access to the app last week after he was identified as the alleged perpetrator.
Meanwhile, an upset Dr Isa Orlianski said on Monday her father had been her world.
Her husband, Daniel Witz, called Orlianski a loving father. –