Court hears how taxi driver transporting disabled kids to school pleaded with alleged hijackers to save them.
|||More hijacking charges are being brought against two of the four men charged with killing a Durban school taxi driver last month.
S’thembiso Mthethwa, Sanele Mayisela, Thabani Qwela and Njabulo Mthethwa appeared briefly in the Durban Magistrate’s Court on Thursday.
The men are charged with murder, robbery with aggravating circumstances and attempted murder in connection with the killing of taxi driver Kemraj Balgobin on January 19.
Balgobin, 57, was driving pupils to AM Moolla Spes Nova School in Avoca Hills when he was hijacked.
He had stopped to pick up a disabled child when four men approached and demanded the vehicle’s keys.
Balgobin tried to negotiate with the hijackers to allow the five disabled children to get out.
One of the hijackers shot him and a child was pushed out of the taxi. The men fled with the taxi’s keys, Balgobin’s cellphone and his wallet.
On Thursday, the four men were expected to apply for bail, but State prosecutor Kuveshni Pillay said the application could not proceed.
Firearm
She said police investigations had linked some of the men to other cases and S’thembiso Mthethwa would face further charges of attempted murder and hijacking.
Njabulo Mthethwa and Qwela would also face further charges of hijacking and unlawful possession of a firearm respectively.
Pillay said because of the number of charges involved, the bail application would be long and the defence needed to prepare.
In fact the matter may be transferred to the high court.
The case was adjourned to March 8 and the men are to remain in custody.
Meanwhile two Hawks officers and a private investigator, who are charged with extortion and corruption, also appeared briefly on Thursday.
Warrant officers Jason Reddy and Pat Naidu and investigator Ian Ault appeared before Magistrate Siphiwe Hlophe.
The three were arrested, in a sting by the Hawks anti-fraud unit, in which they allegedly attempted to extort R50 000 from a Durban businessman.
The State alleges the officers and Ault promised to make a case against the businessman disappear if he gave them the money.
The case had been adjourned to on Thursday for statements from the defence, but the State said they still needed to address a few matters.
The case was adjourned to April 2 and all three men have been allowed out on bail of R20 000 each. - The Mercury