Fatane court case takes a new turn

MOKOPANE – THE Sello Gideon Fatane murder case took an interesting turn last Friday in a fully packed Mokopane magistrate’s court when Desmond Machaba, also a suspect in the Charles Mgidi murder case, was one of the three suspects that appeared before court. Fatane was shot on March 27 in front of his house in Fourie Street.

Machaba appeared before magistrate Annalies Swanepoel in the Mokopane magistrate’s court on April 17 with Patric Sekhu and Samuel Matjila, all well known taxi owners, for the murder of Charles Mgidi who was a member of the Mogalakwena Residents Association.

Mgidi was shot on April 4 in in Nelson Mandela Drive. The suspects were denied bail and the hearing was postponed to June 30.

The investigating officer in the Mgidi case, William Ramogobedi from Polokwane, is also the investigating officer in the Fatane case and he stated on April 17 that there is a link between the two murders.

The link was clear last Friday when Machaba also appeared before the Mokopane magistrates court with Thabo Alfred Matlaila and Malesela Charles Mogale for the murder of Fatane. Matlaila and Mogale both had their own legal representation and magistrate Maggie Montane explained to Machaba that it is a schedule 6 murder charge and if found guilty he can be sentenced to life imprisonment.

Machaba acknowledged that he understood the charge and that he will be using his own legal representation. Mogale requested that he wants to be transferred back to Polokwane police station due to irregularities at the Mokopane police station.

Magistrate Montane postponed the application for a formal bail hearing on June 4, the three suspects remain in custody.