Hijack victims to have their day in court

File photo: A policing task team has been put in place to address the recent spate of hijackings in KwaZulu-Natal.

File photo: A policing task team has been put in place to address the recent spate of hijackings in KwaZulu-Natal.

Published Sep 11, 2012

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KwaZuLu-Natal - Two hijack victims will have to wait until Wednesday for one of their alleged attackers to have his day in court.

Washington Nxasana, 43, who is charged with the murder of one of his accomplices, robbery with aggravating circumstances, two counts of attempted murder and the unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition, was expected to plead guilty in the Pietermaritzburg High Court .

However, the case had to be adjourned because Nxasana said he was ill and he was taken to the prison hospital.

At the time of the incident, Sagathevan Naidoo and Rundeer Sukhoo ran a business together, distributing liquor in and around Pietermaritzburg.

On the morning of January 29 this year, the two men set off in their bakkie to deliver liquor to a client in Cedara.

The State alleges that Nxasana and his nephew, Nkosinathi Ngobese, who were walking in the Cedara area, noticed the bakkie and conspired to rob Naidoo and Sukhoo.

They approached the bakkie, pretending to want directions, and then drew a firearm.

Naidoo and Sukhoo were forced into the back of the bakkie at gunpoint, where Ngobese kept guard over them while Nxasana drove.

As they got on to the N3, Nxasana heard a commotion in the back of the bakkie.

He stopped and approached the rear of the vehicle with his gun drawn.

Sukhoo and Naidoo apparently lunged at Nxasana when he opened the canopy.

Nxasana is alleged to have opened fire on the two men.

Sukhoo was shot in the leg, while Naidoo escaped unharmed and fled along the N3.

Meanwhile, Nxasana and Ngobese drove off with Suhkoo in the back of the bakkie.

Injured and desperate, Sukhoo tried to attract the attention of passing motorists.

His attackers are alleged to have seen this and became alarmed. They stopped the bakkie and fled, leaving Sukhoo behind and taking with them R1 700 in cash.

By this time, Naidoo had caught up to the bakkie and Sukhoo was taken to hospital where his leg was operated on. He is still walking on crutches.

Later that day police received a tip-off and spotted Nxasana and Ngobese on the main road in Cedara.

It is alleged that Ngobese tried to open fire on the police who retaliated, killing him.

Nxasana is charged with murder because of a law related to “common purpose” – had it not been for their alleged plot to hijack and rob their victims, Ngobese would not have been shot. - Daily News

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