Video: Bail hearing in Elandslaagte farm murder case postponed
The bail hearing for three men accused of kidnapping and murder in a livestock theft dispute has been delayed again.
The bail hearing of Reinhardt Steyn, Chriswell Dumisani Masilela, and Dumisani Luthuli, accused of murdering Thembeni Mnguni (29) and Wanda Mahlangu (21), was postponed in the Middelburg Magistrate’s Court again.
The men are also accused of kidnapping, malicious damage to property, and murder.
The incident reportedly occurred in Elandslaagte in August when Mnguni and Mahlangu were allegedly accused of stealing livestock.
Today, detective Captain Sipho Khumalo was further cross-examined by the attorney of Masilela and Luthuli, Katlego Dolamo.
Dolamo questioned the detective about Masilela’s confession and the inconsistencies in dates.
Khumalo responded that the mistake was human error, and that the context of the confession was more important.
Dolamo also raised concerns over the lack of an identity parade.
Khumalo stated that the identity of the accused was known to the witnesses.
Advocate Werner Jungbluth then cross-examined Khumalo regarding his previous testimony that Steyn reportedly paid the two other accused.
The detective had earlier testified that R50 000 was transferred into Masilela’s bank account from Steyn’s account, and that R25 000 was later transferred to Luthuli by Masilela.
Khumalo noted that the evidence of these payments was not in his court docket but was available at the Laersdrift Police Station.
He also mentioned that the case was initially investigated by a different detective who has since left the unit and is currently on leave.
Jungbluth offered to provide the court with his client’s bank statement to show that Steyn did not make any payments to the accused.
The magistrate ordered the state to submit the bank statements, and the matter was postponed to October 16 for further hearings.
The accused will remain in custody in the meantime.
Watch as the accused make their way into court:
@middelburgobserver The bail hearing of Reinhardt Steyn, Chriswell Dumisani Masilela, and Dumisani Luthuli, accused of murdering Thembeni Mnguni (29) and Wanda Mahlangu (21), was postponed again. The men are accused of kidnapping, malicious damage to property, and murder. The incident reportedly happened in Elandslaagte in August when Mnguni and Mahlangu were apparently accused of stealing livestock.
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