Dumping man 'ordered hit'

A court has heard that the Welkom businessman arrested in connection with South Africa's biggest medical waste dumping scandal, allegedly ordered a hit on his former partner, who blew the whistle on him - and warned a state witness to "be careful where he walks".

This was the testimony of police investigator Inspector Izak Fick, giving evidence in Brasher's bail hearing at the Welkom Magistrate's Court.

Fick told the court on Monday he had been informed that Brasher had hired two hitmen from Congo-Brazzaville to kill his former business partner, Kevin Rabie.

Fick said this was because Rabie had informed the Green Scorpions of Brasher's illegal dumping of body parts and medical waste.

The Volksblad newspaper reported yesterday that Fick told the court the hit had been scheduled for the evening of December 27, a few weeks after the medical waste was found at Brasher's business premises.

Fick told Magistrate Magda van der Laan that Brasher had denied putting a contract out on Rabie.

Brasher is also charged with intimidating a state witness and attempted murder.

Fick said that the charges relate to threats allegedly made by Brasher against his former employee, Christiaan van Loggerenberg.

Hannes Pepyer, Brasher's lawyer, said his client would deny the allegations.

Brasher's arrest on Saturday came after raids carried out by the Green Scorpions in November at his brick factory unearthed 200 tons of medical waste - including body parts and used syringes - in shallow pits covered by brick.

The discovery by the Green Scorpions at Maximus Bricks led to further raids at the Welkom showgrounds and at a game farm, where more illegally dumped medical waste was uncovered, the Sunday Times reported.

The Wasteman Group, the second-largest waste management company in South Africa, and its subsidiary Phambili Wasteman, are under investigation for the illegal dumping.

The group allegedly secured more than 150 multimillion-rand contracts with state and private hospitals throughout South Africa, one of which was sub-contracted to Brasher's company.

The bail hearing continues today.