Tebogo Msimanga |
Twelve taxi operators accused of murder will appear before the Klerksdorp Regional Court on Monday, 27 September 2021 on two charges of murder and four of attempted murder.
It is alleged that on 19 September 2018, the accused who are said to be taxi operators in Boitumelo near Bloemhof, allegedly forcefully took six of the victims to Boitumelo taxi rank and assaulted them with spades, pangas, sjamboks, sticks and other objects.
North West National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Henry Mamothame said the six were allegedly criminals belonging to a criminal gang known as SVK, notorious for terrorising the community for a long period and some of them facing criminal charges. “The taxi operators then took it upon themselves to deal with these alleged criminals by taking the law into their own hands.”
Mamothame added that during the assault, Mooketsi Mogapi (33) died on the scene and Teboho Thoo (21) died four days later in hospital. Shadrack Mokonyane, France Watkins, Kashiso Mahashe and Thabang Leepile were severely injured but survived the onslaught.
On Thursday 23 September 2021, the legal representatives of some of the accused made an application to the court to have the investigating officer summoned for cross examination in relation to the evidence given by Leepile and the court granted it. The state did not oppose this application.
