Mooinooi murder: accused beaten for a week, Brits court hears
The bail hearing was postponed to February 20, due to power outages in Brits.
The outside of the Brits Magistrate’s Court. FILE PHOTO: ANA Reporter
One of the eight people accused of the murder of a couple in Mooinooi, was beaten for a week to such an extent that his body was swollen, the Brits Magistrate’s Court heard on Friday.
“I was beaten every day for a week, my body was swollen and I could not even wake up or wash my body,” Jack Sithole told the court.
He was testifying in his opposed bail application.
The State alleges that Aaron Sithole, 23, Koos Strydom, 53, Jack Sithole, 18, Alex Mudau, 36, Moses Rakubu, 33, Vincent Strydom, 29, Maroela Opperman, 18 and Marchia Strydom, 21, kidnapped, robbed and killed Joey van Niekerk, 32, and Anisha van Niekerk, 30, of Mooinooi.
They are facing two counts of conspiracy to murder, two counts of kidnapping, two counts of rape, robbery with aggravating circumstance and two counts of murder.
The same-sex married couple went missing on December 10, after they left for a funeral in Pretoria but never arrived. Their car was found burnt on December 16 in the Magaliesburg area.
Sithole denied charges against him and told the court he intended to plead not guilty.
He said he was at work on December 10, together with his boss Koos Strydom and Strydom’s son Vincent Strydom.
He said he was arrested on December 14, and was never told why he was arrested.
” The police asked me what happened on the farm. When I said I do not know, they said I was lying. One Colonel Nkosi asked me to go with him to the police station, where he wanted to show me someone. On arrival I was put in a cell and found my boss Koos,” he said.
“The following day I was taken to Bethanie police station, where two policemen beat me up, they said I must tell the truth,” he told court.
He told the court Aaron Sithole, the first accused on the charge sheet, was his brother and he had gone to school up to grade five.
The bail hearing was postponed to February 20, due to power outages in Brits.
– African News Agency (ANA)
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