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TROUBLE: Shop owner Solly Madileng

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Frank Mentoor, one of four men charged with businessman Solly Madileng for the brutal 2006 assault on Madileng's erstwhile employee, said his involvement in the assault was "very minimum".

Other men charged with the alleged assault are Mentoor's twin, Steve, Tshepo Ntlwana and Abie Motlhabi.

Mentoor said on Monday August 26 2006 he was waiting for Madileng to come home.

Mentoor said he was a live-in gardener at Madileng's residence and that Madileng normally transported him home on weekends.

"When he returned home he was with two other men who worked at his shop and said we should all climb into his two bakkies," Mentoor said.

"I was under the impression that he was taking us home and was shocked when we went to a tavern at Seabe, a neighbouring village."

Mentoor said when they arrived at the tavern, Madileng grabbed Ephraim Makitla by his belt and pulled him into the bakkie.

"We then drove to the bush, where Madileng took a broomstick from the back of his seat and ordered us to hold Makitla firmly.

"He accused Makitla of bewitching him and also that he had stolen from one of his shops.

"When asked why he had done that Makitla did not respond and Madileng started hitting him."

Mentoor said his sole role in the saga was to hold Makitla down while Madileng assaulted him.

Asked why he had not refused to hold Makitla, Mentoor said he had been scared of his boss and every time the man asked him to jump he asked: "How high?"

"At first I hesitated to grab him, but Madileng raised his voice, forcing me and the other men to hold Makitla. I was threatened," he said.

Magistrate Danie van der Berg asked Mentoor if he would commit a crime if ordered by Madileng because he is scared of him, to which he said: "Yes, if it is not serious."

The magistrate said: "But the crime you committed is serious. The man was seriously injured?"

Another co-accused, Motlhabi, also said their involvement in the assault was only to hold Makitla so that he could not move while he was being assaulted by Madileng.

While Makitla testified that the four men had tied him with a rope before he was assaulted by Madileng, Mentoor and Motlhabi denied this, saying they only held him so that he could be assaulted.

Madileng, 50, was arrested five days after he allegedly shot his former wife, Maki, and threw her out of a moving car on August 7 2007.

Madileng was initially charged with kidnapping and assaulting Makitla.

The cases have been combined. The trial continues today.

Comments

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Fri May 24 04:05:46 SAST 2013 ::

Jun 22, 2012

THEmadame2BBBEE

gees, ppl r scared of him, I'm not
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Jun 22, 2012

Proffesor

This spaza shop owner is mad
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Jun 22, 2012

Ann

aowa my home boy,
he actually owns a couple of shops die maan
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Jun 22, 2012

beautiful4

this man is a monster!! he deserve to die,,rot in jail or death penalty.nxa
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Jun 22, 2012

xhosagirl

it is clear that the wife was being abused,im tied of this men who thinks that by marrying you sa go owner, Nxx
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Jun 22, 2012

Cowgirl

Can someone define the term "TYCOON" to me please or does Sowetan just throw around words.


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Jun 22, 2012

PitoriCrazy11

wats happening ko kazi laka maar, damn it was william nkuna le Rasuge now this, eish
hamitown this is not good at all.damn
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Jun 22, 2012

MGEEZ

The law must take it's cause here, period!!!!
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Jun 22, 2012

Nantseka

I once boarded a taxi(Town to Marapyane) with the wife.I couldnt beleive when she narrated the story to some women who were actually surprised that she is still alive and doing good,I never beleived what I heard until I saw the story here on Sowetan...........This man must be a real MONSTER!


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Jun 22, 2012

OPZAZA

@ Cowgirl

A tycoon is a rich or powerful businessman.
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