[ad_1]
Sekwetja Mahlamba and Sekola Matlaletsa were charged in connection with the murder of 21-year-old Brendin Horner. His body was discovered tied to a pole earlier this month in Paul Roux.
Sekola Matlaletsa and Sekwetja Mahlamba, two suspects charged with murdering Brendin Horner in Senekal Magistrates Court on October 16, 2020. Image: Abigail Javier / EWN
SENEKAL – The Senekal Magistrates Court has denied Sekwetja Mahlamba’s request for bail, while it has granted bail to Sekola Matlaletsa.
The two men were charged in connection with the murder of 21-year-old Brendin Horner. His body was discovered tied to a pole earlier this month in Paul Roux.
The murder sparked outrage in the city of the free state, and the farmers called for government intervention.
The court said Thursday that there was insufficient evidence linking Matlaletsa to the crime.
Matlaletsa’s bail has been posted at R5,000 even though she asked the judge to set it at R500.
The matter was postponed until December 1.
During the request for bail, the State cited, among others, the men’s previous friction with the law, as well as their proximity to the border with Lesotho, as reasons for denying them bail, fearing that they might escape.
Despite the fact that prosecutors admitted that the DNA found on Horner’s car did not match that of one of the defendants, they still relied on a strong case.
The State relied on other evidence, including the bloody pair of jeans found at Mahlamba’s home. He claims that he was killing a sheep.
Mahlamba and Matlaletsa were also reportedly seen walking away from the crime scene the morning after Horner’s death with bloodstained wet clothing.
But the men had alibis in the form of family members who claimed they were at home when the farm manager was killed.
Prosecutors also used the couple’s previous and pending cases, including stock theft and theft, to argue against the granting of bail.
OBSERVE: DNA Discrepancy Arises During Bail Hearing
Download the EWN app on your iOS or Android device.
[ad_2]
