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The court is hearing a request for bail from Sekola Matlaletsa and Sekwetja Mahlamba, who are accused of killing the 21-year-old farm manager.
Sekola Matlaletsa and Sekwetje Mahlamba, the two suspects charged in the murder of Brendin Horner, appear before Senekal Magistrates Court on October 16, 2020. Image: Abigail Javier / EWN
SENEKAL – It has been revealed in Senekal Magistrates Court that the DNA of one of the defendants is not the same as the DNA found on Brendin Horner’s car.
The court is hearing a request for bail from Sekola Matlaletsa and Sekwetja Mahlamba, accused of killing the 21-year-old farm manager.
Horner was found dead, tied to a fence at the farm where he worked in Paul Roux earlier this month.
The couple have denied being involved, and both said they were home the night Horner died.
The state has told the court that DNA samples from the two defendants were taken to a private laboratory last week and compared with DNA found in Horner’s bakkie.
The 21-year-old’s bakkie was found on the N5 off Bethlehem after it was allegedly taken over by the men who killed Horner.
The vehicle’s DNA did not match the swab of one of the defendants, while the swab of the other defendant was defective.
This stirs up the state’s case, which is based on how the two men killed Horner, took his bakkie, and left him on the N5 road.
The state said another test was being performed at a state lab, but for bond purposes, only results that are already available will be considered.
Previously, the court heard how the man accused of threatening witnesses in the Brendin Horner case was related to one of the defendants.
On Tuesday morning, the investigating officer in the matter told the court that one of the witnesses would have to go to protection after the threats.
During the cross-examination of Captain Gerhardus Myburgh, it was revealed that the person accused of threatening the State witness was closely related to Matlaletsa.
The court heard that he sent a person to see the witness while she was at a funeral in Phuthaditjhaba to warn her that she would not see in early December if she continued to testify.
The magistrate asked why Myburgh did not reveal this when he first told the court about the bullying.
He said it was because of the sensitivity of the case.
The magistrate also asked how the identity of the witness was revealed, since only a person with access to the file would know.
Myburgh said the witness may also have been seen in the company of police.
Myburgh told the court that no case has been opened following the threats, but that they have launched an investigation and the witness will be placed in a protection program.
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