The trial of eight men facing charges of murder, attempted murder, and kidnapping commenced yesterday in the Middelburg High Court, with further witness testimonies heard today.

The accused are:  Zenzela Mzikayise Yende (48), Werner Potgieter (48), Moses Dlamini (59), Masodeni Elliot Msongelwa Dlamini (61), Cornelius Lourens Greyling (26), Sikhumbuzo Zikalala Nhlabathi (25), Mzwakhe Dlamini (48), and Nkosinathi Msibi (26).

They are alleged to have been involved in the brutal attack on three men, which resulted in the deaths of Sifiso Thwala and Musa Nene on 9 August 2020. The third victim survived.

Station Commander Captain Elfas Jabulani Gwebu testified that on August 10, 2020, he attended a scene where he found a red Toyota Corolla with an open boot at a farm. In the boot he saw two sheep.

When he went towards the backseat of the car, he said he saw two black men who appeared to be dead, and a third one in the front passenger seat who appeared to be alive.

Gwebu further added that he saw a group of men and walked up to them to introduce himself. He asked the men what had happened, and said that Werner Potgieter, one of the accused, allegedly responded that the men who knew what had happened would give their statements through a lawyer.

Sibonelo Vilakazi, one of the witnesses called by the State, told the court that he was employed by Potgieter to guard his sheep and was on duty on the day of the incident. Vilakazi testified that a suspicious vehicle was spotted driving around where the sheep were kept.

He added that upon seeing the vehicle, he called other people to ask them if they had seen the suspicious car, which they all agreed to have seen.
Vilakazi further testified that Zenzela Yende, who worked as a supervisor on the farm, was called and told about the car after they could not reach Potgieter on the phone.

He said they searched the suspicious vehicle and only found car tools in the boot.

The group then allegedly started assaulting the three men in the car upon the arrival of Potgieter and Yende. The three men were allegedly slapped and questioned as to what they were doing on the farm.

Vilakazi said they tied up the three men and continued assaulting them. He added that they did not find anything in the car and were then informed by Potgieter to go and fetch two sheep and put them in the car to make it look like the victims were actually on the farm to steal. This was allegedly done so that when the police arrived, they could arrest the victims.

More accused were allegedly fetched from nearby houses to come and assault the victims further.

He testified that one of the accused instructed them to fetch rocks, which were allegedly used to assault one of the victims on his foot.

He added that different tools were used by the other accused, such as sjamboks, a knobkerrie, and pliers.
One of the accused allegedly used pliers to pinch a victim on the ears, his inner thighs, and scrotum.

Potgieter allegedly told them not to hit the victims on the head as they belonged to the government. Vilakazi added that he did not know what Potgieter meant by that.

• The case was adjourned for more testimony from the witness. The matter is ongoing for trial.