Coligny boy wanted to be a traffic cop - father
3 May 2017
Johannesburg – The 16-year-old boy who was allegedly murdered in Coligny had aspirations of becoming a traffic officer, his father told News24 on Tuesday.
Speaking on the sidelines of the bail application for the two men arrested following Matlhomola Mosweu’s death, his father Sakkie Dingake said he was saddened that they wanted to be released.
“I am in pain and before my child is buried they want to get bail. I am in pain. I am the father of the child.
“I was hoping he would work for his family and now I am really saddened about what happened. If only God could have helped him. He wanted to be a traffic cop.”
He said they had not seen him for two weeks before his death.
Bail application
Pieter Doorewaard, 26, and Philip Schutte, 34, appeared in the Coligny Magistrate’s Court for an urgent bail application. They each face a charge of murder. The court gallery was packed with journalists and members of the public. Dingake sat in the front row.
Matlhomola’s death apparently led to violent protests in the North West farming town last week, following rumours that he was killed in a racially-motivated attack. He was allegedly caught stealing sunflowers.
Doorewaard and Schutte said in their affidavits that Matlhomola jumped from their bakkie and broke his neck on April 20. He died on the way to hospital. There were no other witnesses, they said.
“We vehemently maintain our innocence of any/all charges that have been or could be brought against us relating to the incident giving rise to our criminal proceedings,” Doorewaard’s affidavit read.
He said he was the driver of the bakkie. They said they would be able to afford R20 000 bail each. In his affidavit, Schutte said his arrest followed claims by residents that Matlhomola was killed because he was black.
Witness
Brigadier Matome Kgorane disputed their claim that there were no witnesses. He testified that a witness had told police that the teenager was pushed out of a moving vehicle. They should have stopped and tried to help him, he said.
He told the court that Doorewaard and Schutte had threatened the witness.
“They told him not to tell the police what happened. They pointed him with a gun. They wanted to kill him. He pleaded with them and told them he saw nothing.”
Kgorane said they wanted to add charges of kidnapping and defeating the ends of justice.
He said the bakkie Matlhomola jumped from was only found on April 25, when the two men handed themselves to police.
“We checked the car. There was an indication that it was washed,” he said.
The bail application continues on Wednesday.
