Court to rule on Schutte and Doorewaard’s bail application

All eyes will this morning be on the Coligny Magistrates’ Court in North West as the two farmers accused of causing the death of Matlhomola Jonas Mosweu, 16, find out if their application for bail has been successful.

Pieter Doorewaard and Phillip Schutte last week told the court that they apprehended the teenager after seeing him stealing sunflowers from one of the plantations.

They claimed that they put him on their bakkie with the intention of taking him to the nearest police station, but before they could go anywhere, he (Mosweu) jumped off the moving vehicle. However, their affidavit was contrary to what an eyewitness claimed to have seen on April 20.

Brigadier Clifford Kgorane said according to the information he received from the witness, one of the farmers sat in the back of the bakkie with the deceased and pushed him off the moving vehicle.

Warrant Officer Jeremia Modisane, who was at the Coligny police station when the accused went to report the incident, said he went to the crime scene after being given the location by the duo, who apparently said they would not be able to accompany him as they had other business to take care of. Modisane said upon arrival at the scene, he found the deceased lying face down, bleeding from his ears.

Meanwhile, the attorney of the two accused, Hennie du Plessis, argued that there was nothing his clients could do at the crime scene as they were not medical experts. However, Kgorane said the accused should have at least tried to contact the police or an ambulance.

During the bail hearing proceedings last week, local residents were seen dancing and chanting liberation songs, while shouting “no bail” outside court. Some of them, who did not want to be named, said there would be violent protests in the area in the event that the accused are granted bail.

This warning from local residents was also supported by Colonel Johannes Serfontein, a commander at the Mahikeng cluster, who told the court last week that there would be violence if the accused were granted bail.

The death of the teenager, who was on Sunday laid to rest, sparked violent protests in the area, which left at least four houses torched.