Archive photo (Photo: Rhewal)
Three men appeared in the magistrate’s court in Kroonstad, Free State, for the murder of a 41-year-old farm worker.
The incident took place on April 30 on the farm, called Geluk, outside Kroonstad.
According to Capt. Loraine Earle, police spokesperson, said two men entered the farm workers’ homes around 18:44 and found two couples there. They pointed a firearm at the couple and robbed them of three mobile phones, wristwatches and an unknown amount of cash. They locked the four victims in the house and fled on foot.
“The men came across a couple who were on their way from Kroonstad to the farm at around 20:00. They stopped the pair and demanded money,” says Earle.
“The men then fired a shot at the 41-year-old man. They searched him and seized his cell phone. The man’s wife ran away.”
The man who was shot was identified as one of the farm workers on the farm Geluk.
The two fled to the main road, where a getaway car was waiting for them.
“Information from the police in Kroonstad, farmers and a security company established the number plate of the vehicle.”
The investigating officer, AO Motlalentoa Mofokeng from the detective branch in Kroonstad, was assigned to investigate the case.
“While Mofokeng was on his way to Reddersburg for a family funeral on May 5, he noticed the number plate of the alleged vehicle that was used as a getaway car. He immediately called members of the police in Brandfort and the Bloemfontein emergency patrol for help.”
Sera Letuka (22) was arrested the same day.
“Further investigation led to the arrest of two more suspects, Sandie Kheliwe (36) and Lesole Poulo (37), two days later in Welkom. They were found in possession of four mobile phones, one of which belonged to the 41-year-old man who was shot.”
Letuka already appeared in the Magistrate’s Court in Kroonstad on Monday. The other two suspects appeared on Tuesday.
All three suspects are facing charges of house robbery and murder and are expected to appear in court again on May 15.
