Four men, who under the pretext of being "blessers" allegedly lured a 15-year-old girl to an informal settlement in Pretoria and allegedly killed her, are also believed to be part of a robbery syndicate.
John Lekubu, Tebogo Mabolane, Leshilo Mashau and Eugene Machete stand accused of kidnaping, murder and robbery. They allegedly lured Keabetse Seleka to a shack in Brazzaville where they poisoned, assaulted and strangled her.
They appeared in the Atteridgeville Magistrate's Court yesterday where they were denied bail.
Magistrate S Hitchcock said the men were also believed to be part of a syndicate that committed robberies on the R511 road in Atteridgeville. "In these robberies, a woman stands next to the road and if a vehicle stops, they are robbed at gun point," she said.
Hitchcock said it would not be in the interest of justice to release the group on bail. Prosecutor David Molokomme also said the four men should not be granted bail.
"They are not suitable candidates for bail. They have no assets and they can evade trial. There is nothing special about them. They are in good health and nothing will affect them negatively if they are incarcerated."
Hitchcock said Lekubu had posted on social media [that he was a blesser] and lured the deceased.
The victim went and slept at Lekubu's place on November 28. She was killed on the night of November 29.
She was allegedly beaten by the accused because she had refused to give them the pin to her bank card.
Her hands were then tied with a wire. Mashau went out to buy a bunny chow (kota), which Lekubu poisoned. She was given the bunny chow against her will, and as she cried, Mashau prevented her from making noise by covering her mouth with a cloth.
The court heard that Mabolane then took a rope and strangled her .
They then wrapped her body in a duvet cover and a black plastic and threw the corpse into a toilet pit behind a communal shack belonging to Mabolane, Mashau and Machete.
Hitchcock said the body was still wrapped in a duvet when it was discovered. She said a report by a pathologist confirmed that the body was that of a young female.
"The body had a rope on the neck, visible injuries and the intestines looked like she was given poison."
Advocate Timothy Ramabulana, who represented Mashau and Mabolane, told the court his clients were not guilty of the crimes and that the state's case was weak.
"The rights of accused 2 and 3 (Mashau and Mabolane) are no less rights than the rights of the deceased," he said.
The case was postponed to February 24.
'Blessers also robbery gang'
Four men, who under the pretext of being "blessers" allegedly lured a 15-year-old girl to an informal settlement in Pretoria and allegedly killed her, are also believed to be part of a robbery syndicate.
John Lekubu, Tebogo Mabolane, Leshilo Mashau and Eugene Machete stand accused of kidnaping, murder and robbery. They allegedly lured Keabetse Seleka to a shack in Brazzaville where they poisoned, assaulted and strangled her.
They appeared in the Atteridgeville Magistrate's Court yesterday where they were denied bail.
Magistrate S Hitchcock said the men were also believed to be part of a syndicate that committed robberies on the R511 road in Atteridgeville. "In these robberies, a woman stands next to the road and if a vehicle stops, they are robbed at gun point," she said.
Hitchcock said it would not be in the interest of justice to release the group on bail. Prosecutor David Molokomme also said the four men should not be granted bail.
"They are not suitable candidates for bail. They have no assets and they can evade trial. There is nothing special about them. They are in good health and nothing will affect them negatively if they are incarcerated."
Hitchcock said Lekubu had posted on social media [that he was a blesser] and lured the deceased.
The victim went and slept at Lekubu's place on November 28. She was killed on the night of November 29.
She was allegedly beaten by the accused because she had refused to give them the pin to her bank card.
Her hands were then tied with a wire. Mashau went out to buy a bunny chow (kota), which Lekubu poisoned. She was given the bunny chow against her will, and as she cried, Mashau prevented her from making noise by covering her mouth with a cloth.
The court heard that Mabolane then took a rope and strangled her .
They then wrapped her body in a duvet cover and a black plastic and threw the corpse into a toilet pit behind a communal shack belonging to Mabolane, Mashau and Machete.
Hitchcock said the body was still wrapped in a duvet when it was discovered. She said a report by a pathologist confirmed that the body was that of a young female.
"The body had a rope on the neck, visible injuries and the intestines looked like she was given poison."
Advocate Timothy Ramabulana, who represented Mashau and Mabolane, told the court his clients were not guilty of the crimes and that the state's case was weak.
"The rights of accused 2 and 3 (Mashau and Mabolane) are no less rights than the rights of the deceased," he said.
The case was postponed to February 24.
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