The four accused - Donald Seolesang, 22, Tshepo Visagie, 38, Kgomotso Mpumlwane, 45, and Tshepaone Melato, 21 - were charged with murder, robbery with aggravating circumstances, kidnapping and defeating the ends of justice. Picture: Soraya Crowie
THE BROTHER of one of the accused notified the police when he noticed identity documents of the Brand family lying on the wardrobe of his home in Rooiwal.
Danie Brand 83, his wife Breggie, 73, and their daughter Elzabé, 54, were assaulted, abducted and murdered and their bodies dumped in the veld near Takaneng village on July 27, 2020.
The accused - Donald Seolesang, 22, Tshepo Visagie, 38, Kgomotso Mpumlwane, 45, and Tshepaone Melato, 21 - were charged with murder, robbery with aggravating circumstances, kidnapping and defeating the ends of justice.
The State said it was in possession of a statement that constituted a confession of one of the accused.
Testifying in the Northern Cape High Court on Monday, Siyabonga Frane informed the court that Seolesang was his nephew and Mpumlwane was his sister.
“I was cleaning the yard and my sister was helping me when a silver Mazda appeared. Four men alighted from the vehicle. Seolesang called my sister but she refused to go. She was not angry but felt that they should approach her. They moved away from the car towards her and chatted with her. I couldn’t hear what they were talking about because I was at the back of the house.”
Frame said the group left and returned with the car while his sister remained behind.
He indicated that Seolesang had never arrived at his home in a vehicle.
“The men returned after about two hours in the same silver Mazda 5. They spoke to my sister again. They followed her inside the yard and later left together. My sister said they were going to fetch pigs from my cousin in Majaneng. She owns chickens and pigs.”
He added that Mpumlwane advised him not to cross-question her about where she was going.
“She said she was going to extension six and was coming back. My sister was driving the vehicle and said she was taking the people there.”
Frame testified that the following day, he saw Seolesang lying on the sofa.
“He was handcuffed, his cheek was swollen and his face mask had blood spots on it. He was injured and appeared to have been assaulted. I talked to him before he left the house. He told me that my sister had been arrested on the Pudimoe road as they were trying to sell the vehicle.”
He added that the police arrived at his home where they found two laptops, charges and a handbag in his sister’s room.
“She was the only one who used the room although Seolesang, his aunt, grandparents, nephew and myself did have access to the room.”
Frane indicated that he noticed smart ID cards, retail cards and driving licences lying on top of the wardrobe while he was looking for his grandmother’s phone.
“There were photographs of a white male and a white female on the ID cards. The surname Brand was written on the cards. I do not know them, I only saw it. I contacted the police.”
The legal representative for Mpulwane, advocate Celeste Nameka, stated that Seolesang had given a phone and laptop to her client to charge as he did not have access to a charging station.
She stated that her client had used the vehicle in question to collect her children.