Coffin case stalls
|Published
ON TRIAL: Theo Jackson and Willem Oosthuizen ON TRIAL: Theo Jackson and Willem Oosthuizen
The two men accused of assaulting farm worker Victor Rethabile Mlotshwa and stuffing him into a coffin made a brief appearance in the Middelburg Magistrates' Court on Monday.
The case against Theo Martins Jackson and Willem Oosthuizen was postponed to March 23 for trial.
They are charged with kidnapping and assault with the intent to do grievous bodily harm.
State prosecutor Robert Molokoane asked for the postponement and said the State’s investigation into the matter would be complete by then.
The two men will remain in custody. They were denied bail by the same court on December 8 last year.
It’s alleged the incident took place at the JM de Beer Boerdery, next to the Komati Power Station in Mpumalanga.
A video of the attack went viral on social media, causing a national outcry and sparking media coverage.
Mlotshwa was in a jovial mood outside the court yesterday, surrounded by droves of female ANC and ANC Youth League members, who jostled for opportunities to either speak to him or pose for selfies with him.
“Victor is our hero. We love and support him in this case,” said ANCYL member Sibongile Mahlangu.
About 200 other ANC members and 100 members of the Democratic Alliance put in an appearance at court.
Mlotshwa declined to comment on the case.