'Baboon case' on hold for now

HURTFUL IMAGE: In the centre of the photo is Prince Makhubela who was told, along with four other men, to pose for a picture at Lanseria Airport. Their faces were later replaced with those of baboons. Moshe Ramahlo, standing on the left of the picture, has since left the company.
HURTFUL IMAGE: In the centre of the photo is Prince Makhubela who was told, along with four other men, to pose for a picture at Lanseria Airport. Their faces were later replaced with those of baboons. Moshe Ramahlo, standing on the left of the picture, has since left the company.

THE supervisor who allegedly took a photo of his employees and later replaced their faces with those of baboons appeared briefly in the Krugersdorp Magistrate's Court yesterday.

The court postponed the crimen injuria case against Harry McGarry - a supervisor at Skycare Maintenance company which rents premises at Lanseria Airport on the West Rand - to a later date.

The case would be heard when the state had formulated a charge sheet.

Sowetan understands that an advocate from the Johannesburg High Court will be handling the case.

McGarry allegedly photographed five employees in June 2009 and later replaced their faces with those of baboons. The victims said this had humiliated them and that McGarry called them baboons and k*****s.

The men - Prince Makhubela, Steven Moekeletsi, Lovemore Mchube, Michael Khumalo and Moshe Ramahlo (who has since left the company) - opened a crimen injuria case in Muldersdrift, Krugersdorp, last year, but the case was struck off the roll due to "lack of evidence".

But the National Prosecutions Authority asked the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions to review the case. The DPP then reopened the case.

The men also approached the Human Rights Commission which is still investigating the case.

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