One accused in Brendin Horner murder granted bail, other remains in jail

Sekola Matlaletsa, the second accused in the 21-year-old farm manager Brendin Horner murder, has been granted bail by the Senekal Magistrate’s Court while the first accused, Sekwetje Mahlamba, will remain behind bars.

The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said Matlaletsa was on Thursday granted R5000 bail with the condition that he should report to the police station on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays between 8 am and 5 pm

The matter will proceed to trial on 1 December, the NPA said.

The NPA said the court had said that Matlaletsa was not a flight risk and urged that the matter should be finalised speedily to instil confidence in the criminal justice system.

It was reported that the judge in the bail application had said that there is no prima facie evidence linking Matlaletsa to the murder and that keeping him in custody would not be in the interest of justice.

Mahlamba’s bail was, however, denied, as the magistrate could find no exceptional circumstances to justify his release, particularly since his girlfriend is a key witness regarding his whereabouts on the night of the murder.

The two are facing a charge of murder and robbery with aggravating circumstances and they are accused of being involved in Horner’s murder.

Horner was found tied to a pole with a rope around his neck on 2 October. His vehicle was found abandoned on the road to Bethlehem.

(Compiled by Makhosandile Zulu)

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