Bail hearing postponed of man who ‘ordered wife’s murder’ in Polokwane

A man accused of ordering a hit on his businesswoman wife and her colleague will spend yet another night in custody because his bail application in the Polokwane Magistrate’s Court had to be postponed on Thursday so that an Afrikaans interpreter could be arranged for a witness.

Thabo Stanley Leshabane was arrested days after his wife, Makoena Mabusela-Leshabane, and her colleague, Tebogo Mphuti, were shot dead in Polokwane on 10 October 2020.

Leshabane, 57, is applying for bail along with four co-accused, John Zulu, 30, Ndondo Buthelezi, 25, Bhekimuzi Phiyose, 34, and Thembelani Dlamini, 30.

The State, represented by Chantelle Stevens, is opposing bail.

In court on Thursday, a member of the investigating team took the witness stand when Magistrate Janine Ungerer asked him which language he would prefer to testify in.

Kotze, whose first language is Afrikaans, said he could give evidence in English.

But Ungerer warned him that he could damage his credibility if in the middle of giving evidence, he did not understand the English language well.

Defence attorney John Mokgotho also pointed out that he would find it difficult if Kotze wanted to switch languages.

Ungerer adjourned the court for about 20 minutes to give the State and the defence time to sort out the matter.

In the end, it was agreed that an interpreter would be secured from the Mankweng Magistrate’s Court.

The bail hearing was postponed to Friday, 4 December.

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