Bail bid by KZN man accused of shooting funeral-goers

Farmer Philip Solomon is expected to apply for bail in the New Hanover Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday after being held in custody since his arrest on New Year’s Eve.

The 65-year-old was charged with the murder of Mothiwa Ngubane and the attempted murder of Mondli Lembethe during a funeral service being held at his farm in Cramond in KwaZulu-Natal.

Longstanding tensions between Solomon and the Lembethe family culminated in the bloody shooting.

The murder has exposed racial fault-lines in the agrarian community‚ drawing back the veil on allegations of historical prejudice and violence.

Two days after Solomon’s first appearance in court‚ his life-partner was attacked by a group of men on their property. Marie Bucher‚ 60‚ sustained serious head trauma when she was beaten in the attack.

At his court appearance‚ protesters chanted “kill the boer … kill the farmer.”