Elisha Molefe

Elisha Molefe

Angry community members protested outside the Lichtenburg magistrate's court where a farmer accused of beating and shooting a teenager to death was supposed to have appeared.

The crowd wanted the court to withdraw Johannes Joost Nel's R500 bail, which was granted when he appeared in court in October last year.

Nel was, however, not in court on Tuesday, and North West police said he had been admitted to hospital after suffering a heart attack.

Inspector Karina Fourie said Nel was in the intensive care unit and, as a result, was unable to be in court. "He suffered a heart attack last week Friday," she said.

Nel and two of his workers, David Motswiri and Ismael Senokwane, were expected to appear in court for allegedly killing William Oupa Ntsaku in October last year.

Nel was arrested and charged with murder for the death of Ntsaku, 16, a Grade 9 pupil at Gaetsho High School.

Nel allegedly accused Ntsaku of stealing chicken feed from his farm in Graslaagte, near Lichtenburg, last October.

Senokwane and Motswiri allegedly helped him to conceal Ntsaku's body after he died.

The two have since turned state witnesses and have been granted free bail.

Protesters outside the court chanted slogans and demanded that Nel's bail be withdrawn.

This was after Nel told the court through his lawyers that he was sick and unable to attend the court proceedings.