Son of prominent civic leader charged after raid on house

Ross Henderson’s son, a Kimberley police constable, has been arrested and appeared in the Galeshewe Magistrate’s Court yesterday on four charges of attempted murder and one of business robbery.

Henderson is the chairperson of the Northern Cape Civics Association.

The case against John-Ross (JR) Henderson and his co-accused, Rozario Mojaki, was postponed yesterday for a formal bail application later this week.

Both Mojaki and Henderson are currently in police custody, after Henderson apparently handed himself over to police yesterday morning. Mojaki was arrested on November 7, the same day that a raid was conducted on the home of Ross Henderson in Royldene.

Earlier on the day of the raid, the police launched a manhunt for four suspects who shot two business people during a robbery in Galeshewe.

The incident happened at around 3am on the morning of November 7, when four robbers stormed the business premises of Cheapest Supermarket in Corless Road in Galeshewe and attacked four business people, who were asleep in a back room on the premises.

According to police spokesperson, Brigadier Mohale Ramatseba, two people were shot, one in the shoulder and the other in the throat, and had to be admitted to hospital.

The two other victims escaped with minor injuries and were treated and later discharged. Ramatseba said the suspects robbed the victims of an undisclosed amount of cash, two cellphones and a laptop.

The robbers were apparently seen escaping in a green Jeep. According to workers in the area, the woman, who was shot in the arm, is pregnant, while her husband was shot in the shoulder.

It is believed that a black bag containing police equipment was found close to the scene.

Later that same afternoon, about 20 members of the Tactical Response Team (TRT) participated in a raid on the Henderson’s Royldene residence during which a number of detectives searched the house.

It has been alleged that Mojaki was instructed to implicate Henderson in the robbery during intensive interrogation sessions. Heavily armed police officers were apparently present during the interrogations.

It is believed that he was assaulted and denied food until he allegedly agreed to implicate his co-accused.

During the raid on his Royldene home Ross explained that he had recently purchased the vehicle, which was being sought by the police following the armed robbery.

Ross also indicated at the time that he had left it with a family member, who is a panel-beater, because of problems with the gearbox.

He said he believed that a mechanic, who worked for his family member, took the vehicle without their permission.

“I asked another family member, who is a member of the Public Order Policing unit, to trace the car, which was found 200 metres from the scene of the robbery,” he said.

At the time, Ross slammed the police for the heavy show of force during the raid on his home.

Ross yesterday claimed that he was aware that the incident was an attempt to nail him.

“I know that this is an attempt to get to me, but now people around me are being targeted. The people behind this are afraid to aim straight at me.

“However, I will let the law take its course and allow the matter to be settled in court,” he said.