Terre'Blanche trial resumes with captain's cross-examination

01 Feb 2016 | Admin Author

The trial of two farmworkers accused of killing rightwing leader Eugene Terre'Blanche continues in the high court sitting in Ventersdorp on Monday.

"Cross examination of [Captain Jan Louw] who visited the scene will continue and thereafter other witnesses will be called to lead further evidence," National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Mthunzi Mhaga said on Sunday.

"We are still happy with the way proceedings are going so far."

The NPA was confident of securing a conviction, he said.

Chris Mahlangu and a minor are accused of beating and hacking the Afrikaner Weerstandsbeweging leader to death in his farmhouse in the North West on Easter Saturday, April 2010. He was 69.

Both have pleaded not guilty to murder, housebreaking, and robbery with aggravating circumstances. Mahlangu claims he acted in self defence. The teenager has denied involvement in the crime.

The court heard in October that no pathologist had been called to the crime scene, and that evidence could possibly have been removed from the body. Not contacting a pathologist was a breach of regulation and "highly unusual", pathologist Dr Ruweida Moorad told the court.

Moorad had said at the time fluid resembling semen seen in photos of Terre'Blanche's body may have been wiped off.

Defence attorney Norman Arendse suspected the semen may have been deliberately removed.

Moorad said there were no acute injuries to Terre'Blanche's rectum, and only a "linear abrasion" on his scrotum. There had been speculation, fuelled by Terre'Blanche being found with his pants down, that a sexual assault had taken place.

Terre'Blanche was most likely lying down when he sustained a chop wound to the head, which lacerated his brain, she said. He sustained multiple fractures to, among others, his skull, ribs, and lower jaw. There were bruises and lacerations on several parts of his body, including his tongue and liver. All the injuries were on the front of his body.

Moorad found no "typical defence" injuries to indicate Terre'Blanche attempted to fight off his attackers.

She agreed that Terre'Blanche's wounds were consistent with those inflicted by a panga. -- Sapa

Source: Mail and Guardian Online