‘WARTHOG KILLER’ IN COURT
Scores cram building to foil bail bid Sakhumzi duo remain in jail
MEMBERS of political parties and civic organisations picketed outside the Modimolle Magistrate’s Court in Limpopo yesterday, calling for the hunter accused of murdering a farm worker not to get bail.
Stephan Hepburn, 39, from Pretoria was charged with murder after he allegedly shot and killed Jan Railwa, 25, whom he allegedly mistook for a warthog while hunting on the farm Meisiesvlei in Tuinplass last Saturday night.
Yesterday, people in ANC and EFF T-shirts demonstrated outside the court building while singing struggle songs. Some carried placards written “No to Racism. We are not pigs, we are humans”.
SA National Civic Organisation (Sanco) coordinator in the Modimolle/Mookgophong area, Strike Vukela, said they were there to show support for Railwa’s family.
Railwa, who was a cow herder at the Landgoed Farm, had two sons aged four years and four months.
“We are here to demand that that man does not get bail. It must be set as an example that black people cannot be killed randomly in this manner,” Vukela said.
Alfred Maremane from the EFF said people had set their political differences aside to stand in solidarity with the victim’s family.
“The ANC and the EFF are here because we stand together when it comes to such things. We want to show the family that we will be with them until the end of this case,” Maremane said.
He said this was not an isolated case, adding that more should be done to protect farm workers.
Vasco Mabunda from land rights organisation Nkuzi Development Association said the case was shocking. “It is symbolic of the power relations between the landowning class and black farmworkers,” Mabunda said.
The courtroom was filled to capacity with some people standing in the doorway and along the walls. When Hepburn walked in, dressed in a casual T-shirt and blue jeans, some people in the public gallery started making remarks.
“Is that him? We are relatives of the victim and we want to see his face,” said one woman.
The case was postponed to Monday for a formal bail application. This after state prosecutor William Makwela told the court that Hepburn had changed lawyers, adding that his new lawyer would not be available for yesterday’s appearance. THE case against the two men accused of the deadly November Sakhumzi Restaurant robbery has been been postponed to Wednesday.
Njabulo Ngubane from Dube Hostel‚ Soweto‚ was arrested in KwaZulu-Natal at the weekend in connection with the murder of the famous eatery’s manager‚ Kwesi Hudson‚ as well as another matter of aggravated robbery.
The 24-year-old Ngubane is charged with murder and robbery with aggravating circumstances.
It is believed that Ngubane was arrested in Pomeroy‚ north of Greytown‚ for another business robbery in the area.
The second accused‚ Mduduzi Ngcobo was arrested in Dube Hostel this week and is only charged with armed robbery and possession of an unlicensed firearm which might have been involved in the killing of Hudson last month.
The 21-year-old Ngcobo made his first appearance yesterday in the Orlando Magistrate’s Court before magistrate Anton le Roux.
In November‚ the restaurant, which is on the famous Vilakazi Street, was robbed of cash after the robbers gained entry as the restaurant was cashing up for the day.
The case was postponed to allow the state more time to investigate.