The suspects appeared in the prison court in Kgosi Mampuru II prison in Pretoria on Wednesday where magistrate Bheki Ntshingila transferred the case to the Pretoria high court.
- Two of Bozwana murder accused will have to wait to January to apply for bailTwo of four men arrested for allegedly killing ANC-connected businessman Wandile Bozwana execution-style last year will have to wait until January before applying for bail.
Sipho Hudla‚ Matamela Motapa‚ Paul Khuma and Vusi Mathibela stand accused of killing Bozwana‚ who was gunned down in a car in October 2015.
He succumbed to injuries he sustained after he was hit by a hail of bullets.
At the time he was travelling with a female companion in a car‚ which was ambushed when it stopped at a traffic light on the Garsfontein offramp on the N1 highway.
- No bail bid yet from four on trial for hit on top businessmanThe four men arrested for allegedly killing prominent businessman Wandile Bozwana execution-style are yet to apply for bail.
The hit on Bozwana was widely believed to be connected to his court battle against the North West government.
Three of the suspects were arrested a month after the attack and one in July last year. They were charged with murder and attempted murder. They earlier told the court that they were taxi owners with five children each.
Hudla‚ Motapa and Khuma were denied bail while Mathibela was granted R50‚000 bail in the Pretoria Magistrate's Court on Wednesday.
Mathibela’s bail conditions include having to surrender the title deed to his home (immovable property ) in Midrand and passport‚ report to the Midrand police station every Friday between 6am and 6pm and that he not leave Gauteng without informing the investigating officer.
His initial bail application was turned down. At the time the state had submitted that he had several pending matters of a violent nature. He also did not present immovable assets at the time which made him a flight risk.
He made a second application based on new facts which led to the court to review its previous findings.
On Wednesday magistrate Mogawambal Naidoo found that he was forthcoming about his personal circumstances.
He had a business that continued to operate after his arrest.
He has since pledged immovable property worth R4.2 million.
Naidoo said Mathibela had a business account that remained operational for years and that he was economically viable.
"He was not forthcoming in the first application where the onus was on him to convince the court. Now some factors have fallen off‚" she said.
-TMG Digital/Sowetan
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