SAMWU murders: Accused expresses disappointment in trial delay
Thabo Sibanze, an Eswatini national, said he wants a fair trial after being kept in prison for five years with several postponements.
LIMPOPO – Chaos erupted in the Sibasa Regional Court on February 13 during the appearance of Thabo Sibanze (32), who is facing a case of intimidating Vhembe District Municipality (VDM) employees, said to be whistle blowers who mostly belong to the South African Municipal Workers Union (Samwu) and who were vocal against the district’s unlawful R300m investment in the now defunct VBS Mutual Bank.
Court A was packed to capacity, mostly by Samwu members employed by the municipality, as Sibanze appeared in court for the second time, this time without his co-accused, the Radzuma brothers (Ndivhuwo, Simon and Percy) as the Thohoyandou Magistrate’s Court in October 2022 acquitted him of the murder of the two slain Samwu members, Timpson Musetsho (50) and Ronald Mani (50).
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The two were gunned down in separate incidents in January 2019, after they were vocal about the municipality’s investment in VBS.
Sibanze expressed disappointment at the delays in the case.
“My case is taking too long, I want a fair trial to start now. It has been almost five years and I’m kept in prison without trial. It is unfair for me because my case is being postponed time and time again,” he said in court after his case was again postponed, this time to March 13 for him to secure legal representation.
Sibanze, an Eswatini national, was initially arrested for intimidation on March 1, 2019, after some VDM Samwu members and councilors received intimidating calls.
He was also charged under the Immigration Act as he did not possess the necessary documents to be in the country legally.
Meanwhile, the pre -trial for the murder accused of the two slain Vhembe Samwu members will get underway in the Limpopo High Court in Thohoyandou from March 20-24.
