(VIDEO) Elandslaagte farm murders: accused denied bail
Murder accused denied bail, lawyer to appeal.
Magistrate Solomon Gololo finally delivered his bail judgment in the Elandslaagte farm murder case.
The murder case involves Reinhardt Steyn, Chriswell Dumisani Masilela and Dumisani Luthuli.
The men are being accused of kidnapping, assaulting and killing Thembeni Mnguni (29) and Wanda Mahlangu (21).
The judgment was made in a full courtroom today (Monday).
The deceased were allegedly accused of stealing livestock on a farm Steyn worked on.
The men were allegedly kidnapped, assaulted, and tortured before their bodies were thrown into a drum where they were burnt back in August.
Their bodies were subsequently found under a bridge on the Van Dyksdrift road adjacent to the N4.
The men have been in custody for nearly seven weeks, awaiting bail.
The case has faced several delays due to translations and documents missing from the docket.
During his address to the court, Magistrate Gololo recounted the bail hearing, stating that the circumstances of the accused must be considered, but they must show the court that their circumstances are exceptional.
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He said personal common circumstances can’t be considered unusual.
He said the accused’s circumstances are common.
Magistrate Gololo said the accused are facing a schedule 6 crime, and there were no exceptional circumstances presented during the bail hearing.
The three accused were, therefore, denied bail.
@middelburgobserver Magistrate Solomon Gololo denies the three men accused of killing, assaulting and burning, Thembeni Mnguni (29) and Wanda Mahlangu (21) bail. Reinhardt Steyn, Chriswell Dumisani Masilela and Dumisani Luthuli appeared in the Middelburg Magistrates Court today( 21 October 2024). Read more on the Middelburg Observer website.
The matter was postponed to November 1 for further investigations.
• The attorney of Luthuli and Masilela, Katlego Dolamo, told the Middelburg Observer said he will be appealing in the Mpumalanga High Court against the denial of bail. He said that should the appeal be refused, he would apply to the Supreme Court of Appeal.
