Man accused of ordering hit on wife and her colleague denied bail in court

A man accused of ordering a hit on his businesswoman wife and her colleague was denied bail in the Polokwane Magistrate’s Court in Limpopo on Tuesday.

Magistrate Janine Ungerer found that Thabo Stanley Leshabane and his four co-accused, believed to be the “hitmen”, did not prove that exceptional circumstances existed to warrant their release on bail.

The co-accused are Ndondo Buthelezi, 25, John Zulu, 30, Bhekimuzi Phiyose, 34, and Thembelani Dlamini, 30 – all from Katlehong in Gauteng.

Ungerer accepted the oral evidence and report of psychologist, Dr Precious Sedumedi, who holds the rank of colonel in the South African Police Service.

In her report, Sedumedi said Leshabane was suicidal and that he was “a man who wants to remove himself from unbearable situations”.

Ungerer said: “The colonel (Sedumedi) stated that the risk of suicide for accused number 5 (Leshabane) is medium to high. Leshabane is likely to employ suicide to remove himself from difficult situations.”

She also referred to a report by veteran psychologist Elmarie Pieterse who assessed Leshabane and found him to be a loving person to his family, among other findings.

Families satisfied

However, Ungerer said Pieterse’s report was not subjected to scrutiny in court because the defence team did not call her to testify.

She also pointed out that almost all the accused made certain admissions and implicated one another.

“The only exceptional circumstances of the accused were that they have children. It is the court’s view that the applicants failed to show that the State’s case is weak,” Ungerer said.

She immediately pointed out that the court was not tasked with determining whether the accused were guilty or not.

Leshabane, 57, is accused of being the mastermind behind a hit on his wife, Makoena Mabusela-Leshabane, 46, and her friend and colleague, Tebogo Mphuti, 35.

They were followed and shot dead in Polokwane after viewing a business property on 10 October 2020.

The families of the deceased were satisfied with the outcome of the bail hearing and said it was a sign that justice would be served.

The accused are to appear in court again on 1 April 2021.

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