Murder case against Coligny accused postponed
TWO men accused of killing a teenage boy appeared briefly in the Coligny Magistrate’s Court in North West yesterday.
The case against Pieter Doorewaard, 26, and Phillip Schutte, 34, was postponed to August 7, for a decision by the director of public prosecutions.
Magistrate Mattheus van Loggerenberg, who recused himself from the case for safety reasons in April, said the prosecution had returned the docket to the police.
It would be returned this week and the director of public prosecution was expected to made a decision.
Van Loggerenberg presided over the case yesterday.
The two are accused of killing Matlhomola Jonas Mosweu, 16, on April 20 at Scotland informal settlement in Coligny after accusing him of stealing a sunflower from their employer’s field.
The two claimed they put Matlhomola in the back of their van, intending to take him to the police, but according to them, he jumped out of the moving van and injured his neck.
However, an eyewitness told police Matlhomola was thrown out of a moving van. He died on his way to hospital.
The men are facing a charge of murder and attempted murder for allegedly killing Matlhomola, and for shooting at an eyewitness.
Matlhomola’s death triggered violent community protests that left a trail of destruction in the small maize-growing town and divided the community. At least six houses and three trucks were set alight and several shops looted and damaged. EFF members chanted “Kill the boer, kill the farmer,” as the two left court yesterday.
They chanted behind them until the police stopped them and the two got into a security vehicle and sped off.
Matlhomola’s father, Sakkie Dingake, said that he wanted the matter to be finalised speedily.
“I want this case to be complete as fast as possible.”
He constantly asked the accused to hold their heads up before the court proceeding started.
“Hold your head up, why are you hiding?” he asked of the two accused.
The accused walked into court without looking in the direction of the deceased’s family.
In court, Dingake and his wife Agnes Mosweu were seated diagonally opposite to the accused’s family.
The North West High Court last week set aside the State’s application to appeal magistrate Makgaola Foso’s decision to grant Doorewaard and Schutte R5 000 bail each. – ANA