19 Mar 2019

A senior magistrate in Molepolole has acceded to an application to separate the trial of accused persons in the 2011 Trojan Security armed robbery case.

In her ruling, Senior Magistrate Nthabiseng Merafe -Tladi agreed with the prosecution’s request that the trial of Gerald Zikhale be separated from that of his co-accused Meshack Kangangwane since the former had been absconding and the trial progressed in his absence.

She ruled that a separate trial was paramount because progression of the P2 million armed robbery case was delayed by the absence of Zikhale leading to withdrawal of the case against him.

Zikhale’s lawyer, Mr Joao Salbany of Bayford and Associates had opposed the separation of trial against his client calling for the dismissal of the case since it had stalled for a long time.  

Attorney Salbany was also against the case being allocated to a different magistrate stating it could jeopardize the case. 

Zikhale is standing trial with Kangangwane  for robbing Trojan Security in 2011 and the two were jointly charged with Brutas Mokgalo and Motlhatlhobi Bagopi (now deceased) together with a certain Keabetswe Malope who had since turned into an accomplice witness.

The five accused persons were alleged to have on the night of August 11 at or near Kumakwane village using violence robbed Trojan Security during an offence allegedly orchestrated by the late Bagopi. 

Kangangwane, a former employee of Trojan Security Company and Zikhale were the two remaining accused persons in the case.    

Malope, one of the beneficiary of the robbery proceeds, allegedly took part in the commissioning of the offence where he was given an undisclosed amount of money that he placed in a bucket at his home while some of the money was placed in a pit latrine at his grandmother’s home in Gabane.

The matter was last heard by the then Molepolole Chief magistrate Ms Faith Dlamini-Nga”ndu, before Zikhale’s disappearance leading to stalling of the case.   

In his application to separate the trial, the prosecutor Mr Bruce Seoposengwe stated that the request was necessitated by the disappearance of Zikhale which had led to withdrawal of the case with liberty to prosecute to avoid numerous postponements

Zikhale is expected back in court on March 20 for the defence to address bail application issues. ENDS