'Racist farmer' to spend more time in jail while awaiting judgment on bail application

30 March 2016 - 19:43 By Bongani Nkosi

Leon Vincent du Plessis‚ the Bronkhorspruit man in the dock on various charges including incitement of murder of black people by whites‚ will spend some more days in jail before judgment on his bail application is delivered. His bail application again took the entire day at the Bronkhorspruit Magistrate's Court‚ leaving Magistrate David Shikwambane to adjourn it to April 7. This was the next available date he could continue hearing the application.Du Plessis's advocate Andre le Roux led testimony as to why he should be granted bail. He also called two witnesses close to Du Plessis to argue for his freedom.Du Plessis's partner was still delivering her testimony when Shikwambane said time had run out for the day.Like she did last week when Du Plessis was led back to cells and told he would spend the Easter weekend in cells‚ the partner‚ whom the court ordered could not be identified‚ cried.The state is opposing bail on grounds that Du Plessis was potentially dangerous‚ a flight risk because he had no assets or a job and could intimidate witnesses.State Prosecutor Tiisetso Solly Leballo said Du Plessis was even a danger to himself and could commit suicide while on bail. “You can access firearms easily and when released on bail you can shoot yourself.”But Du Plessis refuted this‚ saying: “Shoot myself? I will never do that. How do I enter the eternal life?”Du Plessis has submitted that he was sent by God to deliver a message to South Africans that would save the country.He was arrested four weeks ago at his farm outside Bronkhorstspruit during a raid police conducted following a tip-off about his allegedly inciteful and racist posts on Facebook.Police apparently found firearms and 1‚300 rounds of ammunition‚ including deadly SSG live bullets‚ inside his farm home.He faces charges of inciting others to commit crimes‚ possession of explosives‚ possession of ammunition without having a licence and failure to lock up firearms in a prescribed safe.The charge sheet states that Du Plessis "incited others on Facebook to commit violence or murder against black people"...

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