Coligny - Two North West farmers, Pieter Doorewaard, 26, and Phillip Schutte, 34, who are accused of killing a schoolboy in Coligny after they caught him stealing sunflower, on Friday appeared briefly in the Coligny Magistrate’s Court, where their matter was transferred to the high court for trial.
The State alleges the two killed Matlhomola Jonas Mosweu, 16, on April 20 at Scotland informal settlement in Coligny after accusing him of stealing sunflower from their employer's field.
They claimed they put Mosweu at the back of a van intending to take him to the police and that he jumped out of the moving van and injured his neck. He died on his way to hospital.
However, an eyewitness later told the police Mosweu was thrown out of a moving van.
On Friday Magistrate Mattheus van Loggerenberg said investigations were now completed. He then postponed the matter to November 15 for a pre-trial conference at the North West High Court in Mmabatho.
Doorewaard and Schutte were initially accused of murder, but other charges of intimidation, kidnapping, unlawful possession of firearm and ammunition, theft and pointing of a firearm have been added.
The state alleges the pair, who are out on R5 000 bail each, intimidated, kidnapped and stole the cellphone of the sole witness in case.
Outside the court a few members of the Economic Freedom Fighters held a protest.
Mosweu's death triggered violent mass protest that left a trail of destruction in the small maize growing town and divided the community into racial groups.
At least six houses and three trucks were set alight and several shops looted and damaged.
African News Agency