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Crane driver SJ Fourie, 33, appears in Senekal Magistrates Court.
- SJ Fourie, the second suspect arrested after the public violence in Senekal Court of First Instance, received a bail of 15,000 rand.
- Andre Pienaar, Fourie’s co-defendant, was released on bail by the Bloemfontein High Court after he was initially denied bail by the lower court.
- The court also heard that Fourie, who is a tow truck driver, alleges that he was in court to tow the police vehicle that had allegedly been overturned and set on fire by protesters.
The second suspect arrested for the riots in Senekal Magistrates Court is a tow truck driver and claims he was only in court to tow the burned police vehicle.
SJ Fourie made his first appearance in Senekal Magistrates Court in the eastern Free State on Monday, facing charges of public violence, attempted murder and incitement to public violence.
While the State did not object to the bond and suggested that the bond be set at R15,000, Fourie, who is a 33-year-old resident of Senekal, took the stand to tell the court why it is in the interests of justice that he bond is granted.
Fourie, who owns a towing service in the small town, told the court that he was not involved in the chaos that ensued on October 6, when a small group of protesters stormed the court buildings in an attempt to reach the two men accused of murder. Brendin Horner, 21-year-old farm manager.
During the riot, two shots were fired in the court and a police vehicle was overturned and set on fire, allegedly by protesters.
Fourie said he went to court after hearing that a police vehicle had been damaged during the protest and was there to help police tow the vehicle.
It was also revealed that Fourie has two prior convictions.
About 10 years ago he was convicted of intentional property damage, the sentence of which was totally suspended, and he also paid a fine for speeding conviction about eight years ago.
Bail
It is understood that the state did not object to the bail because Fourie’s co-defendant Andre Pienaar was released on bail by the Free State Superior Court earlier Monday.
Pienaar, who faces the same charges as Fourie, was initially denied bail by the Senekal Magistrates Court and went to the High Court to appeal the sentence. With the High Court reversing the decision to deny Pienaar bail, it paved the way for Fourie to apply for bail unopposed by the state.
Judge Fundiswa Lufuta was satisfied that Fourie demonstrated that his release on bail was in the interest of justice and agreed that the amount of the bail of R15,000 was fair and equitable. The matter has been postponed until November 20 for further investigation.
Chaos in court
The chaos in the small court developed after the appearance of Sekwetje Mahlamba and Sekola Matlaletsa, accused of the murder of Horner, whose body was found on a farm in Paul Roux on 2 October.
The State has alleged that Pienaar incited violence and that he, Fourie, and others broke into court buildings to seize the defendants and, in the process, damaged court property and mistreated court personnel.
It is further alleged that the protesters attempted to set fire to the detention cells and that at that time there were five suspects in the cells. This is where the attempted murder charge comes from, according to the charge sheet.
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