Court hears grisly details of how man was killed in Marikana

Gruesome details of how a man was killed in Marikana near Rustenburg emerged at the North West High Court sitting in Mogwase today.

Doctor Moeti Isaac Siko who conducted an autopsy on Sabata Petros Chale’s body told the court Chale was stabbed several times.

He had multiple lacerations on the head, he was stabbed in the shoulder, his left lung had collapsed and had been punctured.

“He had six stab wounds in his head, three in the left shoulder, one each on his right and left flanks and one on the left side of his chest,” Siko said.

His colon had a stabbed wound and he died due to the injuries he sustained, the court heard.

The State alleges Aubrey Seitsang, Sibonile Sobopha, Mdlondozi Fundiwo, Herbert Baqhesi, Forum 4 Service Delivery councillor Napoleon Webster, William Nyenyane, Aphindile Pungone, Samson Gqwetani, Gift Luveli, Nkululeko Msithwa, Nkosindiphile Nziyose, Luvo Soyizwaphi, Sivuyile Qasha and Mzolisi Mbulana hacked Sabata Petros Chale, 39, to death in Marikana West, on December 8, 2016, allegedly over the allocation of low cost (RDP) houses at Marikana West Extension 2.

Chale was the leader of South African National Civic Organisation (Sanco) in Marikana.

The men pleaded not guilty to a charge of murder, four of them claimed they were not at the crime scene while the other nine admitted they were at a meeting that was held in Marikana but, disputed other allegations against them.

Webster claim he was at a community hall conducting workshop for learners who wanted to study at universities.

“I am not guilty, I admit that Sabata was killed. I did not participate in his murder. I was not present at the time of the murder. I was at a community meeting conducting workshop for student who want to study at universities,”  the Forum 4 Service Delivery (F4SD) councillor said in his plea statement.

He denied attending any meeting in Marikana.

Pungone claimed he was in Sandton at the wage negotiation signing ceremony,  Msithwa was attending a funeral in the Eastern Cape and Nziyose was at work at Shoprite in Marikana.

Despite their claims a former leader in Marikana, who is a State witness and under witness protection told the court the four were at scene of murder.

He told the court he saw Webster at the Marikana police station and after Chale was killed he saw him helping another man to walk, and he also saw Pungone after Chale was killed. The other two took part in the incident.

The man told the court that he worked as a rock drill operator at Lonmin and he was part of the leadership of a group known as Zintsizwa, which occupied RDP houses forcefully in Marikana West, the area they occupied was called Khabangene (Kick and enter).

He also gave an account of who did what when Chale was killed, stating that Chale was chased out of his house, cornered and hacked to death. He said all the men were armed with spears and knobkerries and he was armed with a black knobkerrie from Lesotho and a spear.

They held a meeting after Chale was killed and instructed not to talk about the murder.

The trial was postponed to Tuesday, Aubrey Seitsang, Sibonile Sobopha, Mdlondozi Fundiwo, Herbert Baqhesi and William Nyenyane were remanded in custody, they were earlier denied bail at the Rustenburg Magistrate’s Court, bail was extended for the remaining nine.

//

For more news your way, follow The Citizen on Facebook and Twitter.