Cape Town - Murder accused and former police officer Richard “Makka” Smit was this week denied bail at the Piketberg Regional Court.
The case has been postponed to September 12 for a high court date to be allocated.
Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) spokesperson Lizzy Suping said they welcomed the decision by the court to deny Smit bail.
“Ipid welcomes the decision by the Piketberg Regional Court to deny bail to the police officer who shot and killed his girlfriend with his service pistol. It is alleged that the off-duty police officer shot his girlfriend seven times during an argument between the two. The officer went looking for his girlfriend at her home. When he couldn’t find her at home, he drove to town and found her in the company of her family members. The officer allegedly demanded that she get into his car and when she refused, he took out his service pistol and shot at the girlfriend and her cousin seven times. The girlfriend was hit three times and died on the scene. The cousin managed to escape and ran for cover at a nearby garage with the deceased’s 11-year-old son and other children,” said Suping.
Activist and director of the Rural and Farmworkers Development Organization Billy Claassen said they were happy with the decision to deny bail.
“It shows that some courts really had enough of gender-based violence related cases against women and children. We want the accused to man up for his deeds and stop wasting the court’s time. It is also shocking that he (intends) to plead not guilty in all charges against him.
“This will be a long road to justice. We already began to prepare the family of Natasha Booise for this lengthy waiting period. Community and church leaders are on a regular basis in touch with the family and especially the mother and minor child of Booise … We want justice,” said Claassen.
Smit faces seven charges including the murder of Booise, two counts of attempted murder of Roslin Kaaiman and Erin Plaatjies, discharging a firearm in a built-up area, handling of a firearm while under the influence of a substance which has an intoxicating or narcotic effect and two counts of assault.
Cape Times