SAMWU leaders’ murder case to continue in November
The case against the three brothers, along with their co-accused Thabo Sibanze was postponed to November 29 for further police investigation.
LIMPOPO – Pery Radzuma, one of three brothers who stand accused for the murder of Vhembe Samwu members in 2019, was denied bail in the Thohoyandou Magistrate’s Court on August 19.
His co-accused, Ndivhuwo and Simon Radzuma opted to abandon their bail application on July 28. The case of the trio, along with their co-accused Thabo Sibanze was postponed to November 29 for further police investigation.
Magistrate Rendani Netshiunda said the 33-year-old suspect had previous convictions which he didn’t reveal to the court, but which was uncovered during the police investigation.
The magistrate further explained that the suspect told the court that he was a businessman owning a taxi, however it was found that the taxi did not belong to him, but to his father.
He also said that the suspect poses a danger to the community as his crimes were premeditated.
State prosecutor in the Thohoyandou Magistrate’s Court, Mashudu Nekhumbe said the state has a strong case against the suspect. Limpopo police detective, captain Tshinyadzo Ndou explained to the court that Percy had identified seven places where he and his two brothers hijacked and stole vehicles during robberies around Thohoyandou.
Ndou also told the court that the younger brother, Simon pointed out the locations where he and his co-accused killed the two Samwu officials, Timpson Musetsho and Ronald Mani. Simon apparently confirmed that he had shot and killed Mani, while Percy was responsible for Musetsho’s death. “We understand that the community is angry after the brutal killings of their relatives, and are baying for the suspect’s blood if released on bail. We have not yet completed our investigations. It is also likely that he might intimidate witnesses and there is the possibility that other people might also be arrested for the killings of the two Samwu members,” added Ndou.
1 August
LIMPOPO – Ndivhuwo Radzuma and Simon Radzuma stand accused of the murder, along with their brother, bail applicant Percy Radzuma of Makwarela township near Sibasa and a resident of the former Swaziland, now Eswatini, Thabo Sibanze.
Read more: Police investigators positively link two brothers to SAMWU murders
The four are accused of the murder of Ronald Mani (50) and the union’s former acting national president, Timpson Musetsho (50) after the two leaders were vocal about the Vhembe district’s decision to invest R300 million into the now defunct VBS Mutual Bank.
Percy Radzuma’s bail application was heard by the court on August 10, while the case against the other accused was postponed to November 29.
Sibanze was initially arrested in 2019 on a case of intimidation of Samwu officials in Vhembe and later charged for Mani’s murder. Simon and Percy Radzuma first appeared in the Thohoyandou Magistrate’s Court on April 6, facing two charges along with the Samwu leaders’ murder charge.
The two were furthermore positively linked with a spate of crimes: a murder and robbery at a bank in Thohoyandou in 2018 and two counts of murder at Mandala village near Siloam in Nzhelele in 2019.
In 2020 the crimes they have been linked to include a robbery and attempted murder at a retail store in Thohoyandou, house robbery at Muledane, a robbery at Sibasa, robbery and kidnapping at Mukula village, theft of a motor vehicle at Makwarela, robbery and kidnapping at Tshilivhani, a murder in the Phiphidi plantation, and this year, intimidation at Sibasa Aardvark Shop, robbery and attempted murder in Giyani in March, and the illegal possession of firearms and ammunition at Rwanda village.
Brig Motlafela Mojapelo said the two accused brothers were initially arrested in Rwanda village in the Letsitele policing area outside Tzaneen for possession of firearms and ammunition.
