The case involving a farm manager Reinhardt Steyn 24, together with his three co-accused, Dumisani Chriswell Masilela (33), Stephan Wilson (30) and Dumisani Luthuli, has been postponed to 17 September 2024.
This is due to accessing a language interpreter and for possible bail application by the Middelburg Magistrate’s Court. The accused are charged with two counts of murder, two counts of kidnapping assault with grievous bodily harm and malicious damage to property.
Their appearance comes after allegations of the accused kidnapping and assaulting three victims at Elsias Farm in Laersdrift outside Middelburg, accusing them of stealing sheep on August 24. The accused allegedly drove to the village with the victims, looking for the said sheep.
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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. After the state added murder charges against the accused, the defence requested the state to disclose the content of the document, which the court ruled that they must be provided with a summary before Friday, 13 September, 2024.
According to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA),the state is opposing bail due to the seriousness of the charges the accused are charged with.
