Court hears that a hitman was hired to kill Fatane

MOKOPANE – DESMOND Machaba confessed that he approached Charles Mogale to hire Thabo Matlaila as a hitman to kill Gideon Fatane, stated the state prosecutor last week in the Mokopane magistrate’s court during the bail application of the supects in the Fatane murder case.

Fatane, a well-know taxi-owner, was shot and killed in front of his house in Fourie Street on Friday, March 27. Machaba, also a suspect in the Charles Mgidi murder trial, did not apply for bail in the Fatane murder case. Mgidi was shot and killed on April 4 at the Caltex garage in Nelson Mandela Street.

The state prosecutor said: “Desmond Machaba and two other taxi owners made the decision that Fatane must be killed. Machaba then approached Mogale to find a hitman to kill Fatane. A description was given to Matlaila of Fatane’s cars and Matlaila also investigated the area around Fatane’s house prior to the murder”.

Mogale and Matlaila denied these allegations to which the state prosecutor said: “the investigation officer will confirm these confessions when he testifies on June 15”.

Mogale acknowledged that he had a lot of prior offences against him, while Matlaila did not have any previous convictions or pending cases against him. Both suspects pleaded not guilty on the charge of murder.

The bail hearing will continue on June 15.