Jub Jub 'not friends' with co-accused

Musician Molemo 'Jub Jub' Maarohanye told the Protea Magistrate's Court on Monday he was not friends with his co-accused Themba Tshabalala.

He said he merely knew him as someone who always brought his artist, whom he identified as Phumelele 'Bones' Vezi, to shows.

Maarohanye said he had met Bones and a friend Tumelo Mukoka on March 8 last year to discuss an event he was organising in Glenridge near Protea Glen.

He said he was travelling with Mukoka to view sound equipment near a Chicken Licken outlet next to a BP garage in Protea North.

Maarohanye said he and Mukoka bumped into Tshabalala at a stop sign near the Casban liquor shop in Protea Glen. He offered to lead them to their destination, which they were struggling to find as he was not familiar with the area.

Maarohanye told the court that as they were driving towards Protea North he heard a bang and hit a curb before blacking out. Maarohanye said he did not remember what happened thereafter.

He denied that his Mini Cooper crashed into a group of school children on that day. He said it hit a curb and a tree.

Maarohanye and Tshabalala are on trial for murder, attempted murder and driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs.

The Mini Coopers driven by the two allegedly crashed into a group of school children, killing four of them and seriously injuring two others. They were allegedly racing along Mdlalose Street from Protea Glen to Protea North when the accident happened on March 8.