POLOKWANE – Controversial music superstar Katlego Lehlogonolo “Shebeshxt” Chauke is expected back in the Polokwane Magistrate’s Court on Thursday for his third bail application on new facts.

The hitmaker will be represented by a new legal counsel he has appointed, with his pre-trial that was set for this week put on hold pending the outcome of the bail bid.

Chauke, famous for hits like “Ambulance”, has been in custody since his arrest in November last year.

The road-rage incident

His arrest stems from a road-rage shooting incident in October last year along Witklip Street in Ladanna, outside Polokwane. According to the National Prosecuting Authority in Limpopo, a 34-year-old man and his friend greeted Chauke as fans when he allegedly responded with “Kgane aletlale ka nna?” before opening fire.

The bullet struck the victim in the jaw and shattered the window of a Nissan vehicle belonging to the witness. The injured man was rushed to Polokwane Provincial Hospital.

Police initially opened two counts of attempted murder at Westernburg SAPS before transferring the case to the provincial unit. During his arrest, his vehicles were seized for forensic analysis.

21 charges

What started as two charges has ballooned into 21 charges, including four counts of attempted murder. The State later added charges of assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, robbery with aggravating circumstances, possession of an unlicensed firearm and ammunition, malicious damage to property and negligent discharge of a firearm.

By his first appearance in the Regional Court, 11 new charges had already been added, taking the total to 20.

A revolving door of legal representation

As his legal woes escalated, Shebeshxt has repeatedly reshuffled his defence. His team initially included Lot Ramusi and Advocate Isaac Mokgopo under Ramusi Attorneys during his early bail appearances.

He later dismissed elements of that team to bring in attorney Michael Khumalo to lead fresh appeals on new facts, and most recently added Senior Counsel Advocate Laurence Hodes.

Previous bail bids dismissed

His second bail application on new facts was dismissed last month by the magistrate’s court, and his appeal at the Polokwane High Court also failed after Judge Karin Pillay found he allegedly committed Schedule 6 offences while on bail.

While behind bars, he picked up another charge after officials allegedly found a smartphone, empty sachets with traces of an unknown substance and a suspected drug pipe in his cell.

His pre-trial hearing was meant to begin on Thursday after his last bail appeal failed last month before the Polokwane High Court.