POLOKWANE – July 4 is the set date on which the investigating officer in the murder case of late family man Fabian Patience is expected to present evidence to prove to the court that the three men accused of his death have indeed committed the crime.
This date was decided upon by the Polokwane Magistrate’s Court last Wednesday, when the matter was being heard for a second time following an abandoned bail application at their first appearance in February, as a result of the seriousness of the schedule six offence. The court concluded there needs to be evidence in its possession before pursuing the matter further.
Jan Maboka, Simon Mahlare and Sello Ephraim Matsebadi are suspected of having targeted Patience between Nirvana and the central business district off ramp before stabbing and robbing him, and leaving him for dead.
They made off with his cellphone, which the state has kept as evidence. This is additional to the object that caused his death, witness statements and post-mortem results.
Representatives of a group of Westenburg residents calling for justice were again part of the gallery.
They earlier garnered signatures for a 22-page petition calling for the denial of bail when the three first appeared in court and vowed to continue supporting the deceased’s family by monitoring court proceedings.
