SAMWU murders: ‘VBS brigades found me’, court hears
The Radzuma brothers are accused of the murder for two slain Samwu officials, Timpson Musetsho (50) and Roni Mani (50) in separate incidents in 2019 after they were vocal against the VBS saga.
LIMPOPO – Murdered Samwu acting national president, Timson Musetsho, had been threatened hours before he was gunned down on January 24, 2019.
This is according to testimony delivered in the murder trial of the Radzuma brothers, of which the trial is underway in the Limpopo High Court in Thohoyandou.
Read more: SAMWU murder trial gets underway in Lim High Court
Last Tuesday, state witness Andrew Bongi Kotane told the court that a highly placed official in the Vhembe District Municipality (VDM) was furious with Musetsho during the ANC’s electoral meeting held in the Thulamela’s library auditorium on the day of his death.
“The official assaulted Musetsho, saying he had said bad things about his work at VDM and that he would pay for what he did,” the court heard.
Earlier on the day, Musetsho led a protest march at the VDM offices against the municipality’s illegal investment of R300m in the now defunct VBS Bank, monies he said should have been channelled into services such as water for many communities.
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According to Kotane, Musetsho and his union members asked for the removal of VDM Mayor at the time, and current Transport MEC, Florence Radzilani.
“Later on the evening of January 24, we were surprised to hear that Musetsho had been shot. We heard that he was admitted to Tshilidzini Hospital.”
Another state witness, Thixwedzwi Mamphiswana, who is a director in the Department of Transport and Community Safety testified that he visited Musetsho in hospital before he died.
“He told me that the VBS brigades had now found him, referring to certain ANC politicians who were involved in the illegal investments into VBS, and that they organised a hit on him. He also gave a description of the person who shot him.”
Mamphiswana was one of a group of Samwu members who went into hiding in Polokwane after Musetsho and Ronald Mani were gunned down in separate incidents.
In the meantime, Ndivhuwo Radzuma announced that he was parting ways with his legal representative, Adv Mpho Makhuvha.
Adv Gundo Lidovho will now represent Simon and Ndivhuwo Radzuma, while Adv Ntsako Hlongwane is the legal defence for Percy Radzuma.
The trial continues.
