Brits - A 24-year-old farmer's son accused of murder will appear in the Brits Magistrate's Court, in the North West of the country, for a bail application on Wednesday. Matthew Benson, of Mooinooi near Brits, is accused of shooting and killing Tebogo Ndlovu, of Majakaneng south of Brits, on August 2 but Benson denies the charges.
The State alleges Benson fired shots at Ndlovu and two of his friends when they had gone to the farm to steal scrap metal. But in his bail application last week, Benson denied the shooting and that he had been possession of a gun that day. He said all his father's gun were kept in a safe and the key to the safe was in father's possession who was not at the farm when the incident occurred.
However, investigating officer Lieutenant Colonel Isaac Tlhapi told the court that Benson had called a neighbouring farmer, telling him he had spotted criminals on the farm and needed help. The neighbour, Mr Lawrance said he saw Benson with a 9mm pistol.
Following the attack, residents of Majakaneng waged a violent protest demanding Ndlovu's body. Major roads linking Rustenburg and Pretoria were blocked and at least five vehicles were torched during the protest.