Farm manager denied bail after alleged sheep thieves were beaten to death, their bodies burnt
Murder-accused Mpumalanga farm manager, Reinhardt Steyn, 24, and his three co-accused, Dumisani Chriswell Masilela, 33, Stephan Wilson, 30, and Dumisani Luthuli have been denied bail by the Middelburg Magistrate's Court.
Regional spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) in Mpumalanga, Monica Nyuswa said the court ruled that there were no exceptional circumstances warranting the released of the murder-accused men.
“The court felt that the accused failed to prove the exceptional circumstances permitting their release on bail,” said Nyuswa.
The matter has been postponed to November 1 for further investigation.
In September, IOL reported that the matter against the four men was postponed for the arrangement of a Chichewa language interpreter and a possible bail application.
The NPA clarified that accused number three, Stephan Wilson, requires Chichewa interpretation.
The four men are charged with two counts of murder, two counts of kidnapping, assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and malicious property damage.
“It is alleged that on August 24, the accused kidnapped and assaulted three victims at Elsias farm in Laersdrift outside Middelburg, accusing them of stealing sheep,” said Nyuswa previously.
“Upon realising that the victims were not cooperating, the accused went back with the victims to the farm. They allegedly assaulted them and burned their bodies before dumping their remains on R575 road, leading to N4 in Middelburg.”
The NPA has indicated that it opposing the accused men’s bail application due to the seriousness of the charges they are facing.
Earlier this month, IOL reported that Limpopo pig farmer, Zachariah Johannes Olivier, farm supervisor Andrian Rudolph de Wet, and farm employee William Musora appeared before the Polokwane Regional Court, where they were all remanded behind bars.
The bail application did not happen as expected and the Polokwane Regional Court cited a pending decision on an application made by the accused men to the High Court in Polokwane.
Polokwane Regional Court Magistrate Ntilane Felleng referred the trio’s bail application to the Mankweng Magistrate’s Court.
Limpopo spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) Mashudu Malabi-Dzangi said the matter was postponed to November 6.
“The trio — accused of killing two women, throwing their bodies into pigsty — remain in custody for now, as the matter has been postponed to November 6, 2024 in Mankweng Magistrate’s Court pending appeal outcome,” said Malabi-Dzangi.
IOL