21 Jun 2023

The trial in which the quartet of Mothusi Alfred Matomela, Thapelo Lekobe, Mzwandile Mazibuko and Elliot Ntshalintshali are charged with robbery among others, continues on Thursday before Broadhurst chief magistrate, Ms Goabaone Rammapudi-Lesedi.

The case was postponed for the second time this week, the first being on Monday after the court was informed that Matomela and Lekobe had payment issues to sort out with their lawyer.

The matter was then set for Tuesday, but then the newly engaged lawyer, Mr Oagile Mosepele pleaded with the court to be given more time to familiarise himself with the matter.

“I still have some issues to reconcile so I need more time. We have mutually agreed with the prosecution and fellow defence lawyer to resume trial on Thursday and I therefore plead with the court to set the same for resumption of trial,” he said.

Mr Mosepele also indicated that even if he was ready to resume with trial, it would not have been possible as the prosecution had indicated to him that the two witnesses that he would have wanted to start with were not readily available to appear before the court.

Mazibuko and Ntshalintshali’s lawyer, Mr Nkosana Ngwenya expressed that he had no issues with the trial being postponed to Thursday.

He however, wanted the court to clarify a previous issue in which they were served with a default affidavit.

Prosecutor Mr Farai Mahwite stated that the issue had since been sorted out.

“The issue arose mid-trial and it concerns an affidavit of one of our witnesses. We had initially served the defence with a defective copy of the affidavit as it was not signed by the deponent. We however, managed to retrieve a properly commissioned one from the docket and duly served the defence,” he informed the court.

Mr Mahwite also informed the court that the error in failure to sign the affidavit was common when dealing with a bulk of papers, adding that the error would not in any way prejudice the defence.

The four men are accused of robbing G4S Security company cash amounting to P2 310 000 in October 13, 2021 at Turnrite mall in Mogoditshane.

They also face further charges of unlawful possession of fire arms, unlawful possession of ammunition and possession of goods stolen outside the country. Ntshalintshali and Mazibuko, who are South African citizens, face an additional charge of entering the country illegally. Ends