State has five witnesses in rock throwers’ case

Investigators managed to trace five eyewitnesses who saw three men hurl a boulder from a bridge over the N2 – claiming the lives of Amina Haffejee and her brother Abdur Raheem when it tore through their car.

This‚ said investigating officer Ivan Padayachee‚ was the bedrock of the state’s case against Selvan Govender‚ 46‚ Nathan Govender‚ 23‚ and Qiniso Gumbi‚ 21.

Padaychee was giving testimony in the Verulam Magistrate’s Court in opposition to the trio’s release on bail on Thursday. They were arrested earlier this month - eight months after the siblings were killed in the fatal attack.

On December 27‚ Haffejee and her seven-year-old brother Abdur were travelling from Umhlanga Rocks to Stanger when the rock ripped through their car windshield. It hit Haffejee and the force of impact caused her passenger seat to fly back and hit Abdur‚ who was sitting behind her.

Haffejee’s distraught husband‚ who was driving the vehicle but was unharmed‚ drove them to the nearest hospital where they were declared dead.

In early January a reward of R250‚000 was offered for information about the rock attack. In the same month‚ police questioned six teenagers during their investigation into a spate of rock-throwing incidents. They were not charged because there was insufficient evidence.

Padayachee told Magistrate Vera Alamchand that the state’s case against the three was overwhelming‚ so much so that they would flee in an attempt to evade their trial.

He testified that the Govenders‚ a father and son‚ were mechanics and that Gumbi was in their employ.

A fourth man is believed to be at large.

The three accused were remanded in custody until September 29.