MBOMBELA – The court case involving three young men of the Greater Tubatse Municipality in Limpopo accused of assassinating a motorist who offered them a lift, continues in the Nelspruit Circuit of the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria.
The accused – Mr Isaac Sebokuboku Phala (30) of Ohrigstad, Mr Calvin Tjatji (23) of Newstand in Leboeng and
Mr Tshepo Seloane (26) of Mooihoek pleaded not guilty to the charges of murder and armed robbery.
Phala faces extra charges of possession of an unlicensed firearm and ammunition.On August 22, 2010 Phala allegedly asked
Mr Madingwana Max Matlou (43) of Elephant Hill in Burgersfort, who was driving from Lydenburg to Burgersfort, for a lift.
As he drove out of town, just opposite Skhila Secondary School, Phala allegedly ordered him to stop.
When Matlou turned towards Phala, he allegedly shot him and he died instantly.
It is alleged that the two other accused immediately came over and dragged the body from the car and left it in the middle of the road.
The three apparently drove on to Burgersfort but had an accident and rolled the car when they were near Steelpoort.
It is further alleged that Phala had stolen the victim’s Samsung cellphone.
During the trial-within-a-trial held on September 17 the accused told the judge that they had been denied a chance to lay assault cases against the police who arrested them.
Phala testified that he was attacked by a constable who used the butt of a firearm to hit him on the back of his head during his arrest in Witbank on June 7.
“The magistrate did not assist me in opening a case. He only called the officer and told him not to do it to me again,” Phala testified.
Tjatji also said after he was assaulted on June 4, he told a Leboeng police captain that he had been attacked.
“I wanted him to take me to hospital but he refused,” he said. Tjatji added that the day he was taken to a doctor (June 22) he was already healed.
“The doctor did not find any injuries on my body.
“I did not report to him that I had been assaulted by the police. I was afraid because the same officials who assaulted me were present in the doctor’s surgery,” said Tjatji.
The third accused Seloane, testified that he was also assaulted by police of Tubatse Police Station on June 6, 2011.
“Pepper spray was used and my head was covered with a plastic tube to make me suffocate,” he said.
The case continues.
