An ANC branch secretary in the Northern Cape, Zonisele Magawu, who is charged with the execution-style killing of DA councillor Steven Baatjies, was allegedly linked to the murder by his fingerprint.
The fingerprint was allegedly found on an exhibit from the murder scene which prompted his swift arrest on August 19 - less than 24-hours after the murder was reported to the police.
Now Magawu makes his second appearance in the Danielskuil Magistrate’s Court for a bail application tomorrow. He was charged with a Schedule Six offence putting the onus on him to give reasons why he should be released on bail. Magawu must also reveal whether he has a past criminal record or is awaiting trial for other offences. If he has, it could scupper his chances of getting bail.
The Sunday Independent has now established that Magawu was charged with housebreaking and theft after six firearms were stolen in November last year, before he allegedly killed Baatjies and seriously wounded his business partner Jeffrey Shuping Nouse on August 18. Nouse died six days later.
The charges involved the theft of firearms from a farm outside Danielskuil on November 13 last year. It is suspected one of the stolen guns could have been used to kill Baatjies and wound Nouse, but the Hawks are tight-lipped about it.
Baatjies was killed on the eve of being sworn-in as a debut councillor of the opposition-led Kgatelopele Local Municipality in Danielskuil. He was found on the side of a road with two gunshot wounds to his head and one in his heart. Nouse was still alive when community members alerted the police. He had a gunshot wound in his jaw.
Hawks spokesman Brigadier Hangwani Mulaudzi confirmed Magawu was facing a separate charge of housebreaking and theft of firearms from Hottie Vermeulen’s farm. Mulaudzi also confirmed that six firearms were stolen from the farm.
The Hawks, however, did not want to confirm or deny reports that the swift arrest of Magawu was because his fingerprint was lifted from one of the exhibits at the scene of the crime. The Hawks also did not want to comment on whether the murder weapon was stolen from the farm. Mulaudzi said the police were still hunting two other suspects who are at large. He said the investigation into the deaths of Baatjies and Nouse would be treated as a normal criminal offence.
According to the sources, Magawu was allegedly in a gang of three, including a Nigerian, which broke into a farm house on November 13 last year and allegedly stole six firearms. He was charged with his co-accused and is now out on bail of R20 000.
While awaiting trial, Magawu was selected as an ANC candidate for the municipal elections. He failed to appear in court in July while attending the ANC final candidate selection meeting in Upington and an arrest warrant was issued but was withheld until his next appearance.Magawu is due back in court on September 12 for the housebreaking and theft charge.
ANC Northern Cape secretary Zamani Saul said:”The ANC will allow the due process of the courts to take place and based on that the ANC will take a decision.”
The Sunday Independent