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45 The farm house where Eugene Terrablanche was killed. Story ,AWB Leader Eugene Tereblanche was murdered on his Farm just outside Venters Dorp In North West Province By to men who handed themselves over shortly after the murder. Picture: Antoine de Ras. 04/04/2010

OMPHITLHETSE MOOKI

A POLICE officer has admitted she did not fully understand the notice of rights that she read to the two farmworkers accused of killing right-winger Eugene Terre’Blanche.

Another cop, a senior officer tasked with investigating the case, told the Ventersdorp Regional Court yesterday that he had no knowledge of the Child Justice Act when a teenager accused in the case had made “utterances” about the murder to him.

The first to take the witness stand to testify for the State was Constable Kedibone Mokwele.

The defence labelled her “pathetic” for admitting that she had not fully comprehended the notice of rights she had read out to the two farmworkers accused of murdering Terre’Blanche.

The court was told that when Chris Mahlangu and his teenage co-accused arrived at the Ventersdorp police station in April 2010, Mokwele had first read the notice of their rights in English, then interpreted it in Setswana.

020212. Ventersdorp, North West. An Investigating Officer Lieutenant Colonel Tsietsi Maano speaks to Terre'Blanche family outside the Ventersdorp Regional Court, Terre 'Blanche's trial . Picture: Dumisani Sibeko

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But yesterday, when asked to read out “you are not compelled to make a confession”, Mokwele, read out “you are now complete to make a confession”.

Mahlangu’s counsel, advocate Khomotso Tlouana, said: “Madam, you are pathetic. How do you explain rights to a person when you don’t understand it?…

You never read the accused his rights… Why are you misleading the court?”

“It was a mistake,” said Mokwele.

“Failure to distinguish between an admission and confession is also a mistake,” said Tlouana.

In a confession, the farmworkers would have indicated that they had killed the AWB leader. With an admission, they would have indicated that he had been killed.

41 The bed with the blood stain where AWB leader Eugene Tereblanche was murderd in his farm house. Story ,AWB Leader Eugene Tereblanche was murdered on his Farm just outside Venters Dorp In North West Province By to men who handed themselves over shortly after the murder. Picture: Antoine de Ras. 04/04/2010

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The trial continues.