Trial begins for six men accused of murdering a Winterveldt cop
The trial of six men accused of murdering a Winterveldt cop is set to resume in the Ga-Rankuwa Magistrate's Court next monday.
Six men who were arrested for the murder of a policeman in Winterveldt on New Year’s Eve of 2015, are expected to be sentenced in the Ga-Rankuwa Magistrate’s Court next week.
The trial for Walter Lesego Mphahlele (22), Banele Mabena (23), Samuel Khoza (26), John Sithole (25), Tebogo Ratokane (27) and Bongani Drans dube (33), is set to commence in the Ga-Rankuwa Magistrate’s Court on May 16.
The six suspects were arrested by Loate police and charged with the murder of a policeman, Sergeant Koos Lehlabi.
Lehlabi was based at the Mabopane Railway Line police station when necklaced after shooting dead a youth and injuring two people at a New Year’s party in Winterveldt.
Police spokesperson Sergeant Thembi Nowathe said people were having an all-night party on New Year’s Eve at a fourway stop in Winterveldt that night.
But the party soon turned sour when bullets started to fly. And soon the necklaced, naked body of an off-duty cop lay on the ground.
Sources described the policeman as a cop from hell, saying he arrived in a 4×4 bakkie at the fourway stop where the party was in full swing, and fired shots into the air.
Then, after having made his way through the revelers in the middle of the road, he allegedly fired into the group behind him.
Angry patrons confronted the policeman and managed to disarm him, but then the events took a turn that was even more horrible.
The officer was stripped naked and beaten with rocks and bottles, then paraffin was poured over him and he was set alight.
Finally, the policeman was necklaced with a burning tyre and he died at the scene.
When police arrived the other passengers in the 4×4 were taken away, before the crowd could attack them as well.
One of the people shot by the cop, Katlego Mahlangu (18), died after he was rushed to the local clinic.
“The six men were subsequently arrested as police continued with investigations,” said Nowathe.
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