Farm attack accused caught while trying to sell stolen goods

THE accused, who are charged for the farm attack on the smallholding near Hartswater were arrested after they were allegedly found in possession of a stolen vehicle and items that were taken from the farm.

The Brand family – Danie, 83, his wife Breggie, 73, and their daughter Elzabé, 54 - were assaulted and abducted while their bodies were abandoned in the veld close to the Takaneng Village near Taung.

The accused - Donald Seolesang, 22, Tshepo Visagie, 38, Kgomotso Mpumlwane, 45, and Tshepaone Melato, 21 - are facing charges of murder, robbery with aggravating circumstances, kidnapping and defeating the ends of justice.

Charges against Realeboga Manyedi, 21, were withdrawn after he turned a Section 204 witness.

Sergeant Stefaans Mangate from the SAPS Northern Cape Trio Crimes Unit told the Northern Cape High Court on Thursday that they followed a silver Mazda CX5 that was driving towards Taung where he observed a woman climbing into the driver’s seat.

“We were looking for a stolen vehicle with a Gauteng Province (GP) registration although the vehicle we were following had a Northern Cape (NC) number plate. When we approached the vehicle a man jumped out and ran into the veld. He was apprehended by Sergeant Coetzer.”

He added that he instructed the driver to switch off the ignition and told all the occupants to get out of the vehicle.

“The licence disc of the car matched the GP registration of the car that we were searching for.”

He stated that he found three photos of Mpumlwane (the driver) when she handed him her cellphone.

“‘I found photo’s of the deceased when I scrolled further down. The two men (Seolesang and Manyedi) inside the vehicle told me that it was her Mpumlwane’s phone. I also asked them to hand me their cellphones.”

Mangate indicated that he also saw photos of the deceased (Danie, Breggie and Elzabé Brand) on the cellphones of the other two accused.

“We found two cellphones, two USB sticks, a laptop, laptop wires and speakers when we searched the car.”

He said he gave one of the accused a police jumpsuit to wear as he noticed that his clothes were blood stained.

“The suspects did not answer me when I asked them about the suspected stolen vehicle and the missing persons. One of the accused (Manyedi) told me that there was one family member who was still alive and offered to take us to her. He told us that the other two were dead.”

Mangate added that Seolesang had escaped after he was arrested and handcuffed.

He stated that he had not accompanied police officials when Manyedi pointed out Elzabé’s body.

“I was busy booking out the stolen Mazda at the police station.”

Legal representative for Seolesang, Roelof van Wyk explained that Visagie had approached his client and Melato to request Mpumlwane to assist in selling the laptops.

“Mpumlwane advised that the laptops should be sold in Vryburg. That is when the four accused got into the vehicle and drove in the direction of Vryburg.”

He added that en route, they found Manyedi next to the road hitchhiking.

“Mpumlwane was driving. Visagie and Manyedi are relatives and they picked him up and told him that they would drop him off at home in Vryburg after they had sold the laptops. Visagie asked to be dropped off close to Taung as he wanted to visit his ex-girlfriend.”

Van Wyk stated that the accused were surrounded by an entourage of 22 police vehicles, SAPS officers and detectives, in Phomolong, near Vryburg.

He indicated that his client was injured where his cheek was swollen, his trousers were torn and his cloth mask was bloodstained.

Legal representative for Visagie, Chande Booysen, pointed out that the commander of the detective unit in Hartswater Captain Mattheus Pretorius had testified that Mangate had accompanied them when Manyedi pointed out the body of Elzabé while Mangate told the court that he was busy booking in her Mazda CX5 that was stolen from the farm.