Coligny teenager died for sunflower heads valued at under R80, court hears

Published Sep 6, 2018

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Mahikeng - The value of the sunflower heads allegedly stolen by Matlhomola Mosweu in Coligny was worth between R60 and R80, the North West High Court, sitting in Mahikeng, heard on Thursday.

Murder-accused Phillip Schutte told Judge Ronnie Hendricks that Mosweu had between five or six sunflower heads with an estimated value of R60 and R80.

Schutte was initially reluctant to estimate the value of the sunflower heads.

Hendricks asked: "Can you estimate?"

Schutte responded, saying: "It can be between R60 or 80."

The court asked him questions to clarify some issues after Prosecutor Moeketsi Moeketsi finished his cross-examination.

Schutte, during the cross-examination, denied killing Mosweu, and intimidating, kidnapping and pointing Bonakele Pakisi with a firearm.

Moeketsi put to him that Schutte and his co-accused Phillip Doorewaard intentionally killed Mosweu.

"I put to you that on that day the deceased did not jump, you and accused one [Pieter Doorewaard] placed him on the road between Coligny and Lichtenburg," Moeketsi said.

Schutte responded: "I do not agree, according to me, the child jumped."

Moeketsi said their version that Mosweu jumped from the van was a mere fabrication, but Schutte maintained that Mosweu jumped.

Schutte, 34 and Doorewaard, 27, are accused of killing 16-year-old Mosweu at a farm near Coligny. The State alleges the men assaulted Mosweu and threw him out of a moving van, on April 20 2017 at Rietvlei farm near Coligny after they accused him of stealing sunflower from their employer Pieter Karsten's sunflower plantation. Karsten is Doorewaard's uncle.

The pair maintained that he was not pushed but, jumped out of the moving van.

Schutte told the court that Mosweu was still alive after he had allegedly jumped out of the van while they were driving to the police station.

The case was postponed to September 25, for final arguments after the state told the court it was not ready to address the court on merit of the case, the defence also indicated that it was not ready.

African News Agency (ANA) 

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