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COKA BROTHERS: FARMERS HAD RIFLES!

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The five accused appeared in the Mkhondo Magistrates Court yesterday in connection with the murder of Coka brothers.    Photo by Bulelwa Ginindza
The five accused appeared in the Mkhondo Magistrates Court yesterday in connection with the murder of Coka brothers. Photo by Bulelwa Ginindza

THE state believes that the five men who are alleged to have killed the two Coka brothers on Pampoenkraal Farm in Mpumalanga last Friday had a common purpose to commit the murder.

It presented the information in the Mkhondo Magistrates Court yesterday where the bail bid of Daniel Malan (38), Cornelius Greyling (26), Othard Klingberg (58), Michael Sternberg (31) and Zenzele Yende (48) was being held.

Prosecutor Robert Molokoane told the court that the murders of Amos Coka (36) and Zenzele Coka (40) were conspired.

Yende, who joined the four farmers on Monday, briefly appeared in court a day before the victims were laid to rest.

Molokoane said: “The accused were called via radio (walkie talkie) to a war or fight. They armed themselves with rifles. What makes it worse, they were wearing bulletproof vests to the scene.

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“All of them had a common purpose and in the end, two people were murdered and two people were attempted to be murdered.”

However, their attorneys said they disputed that there was a common purpose to commit the crime. They told the court that some of the parties were not at the same place when the incident happened.

According to accused number one’s affidavit, he received a message from a WhatsApp group stating that there was a problem on the farm. The message stated that there was a group of demonstrators carrying pipes and sticks.

He said he drove to the place to establish what was happening.

Malan’s affidavit stated that two occupants arrived and were aggressive.

He said one of them hit him in the face with a steel pipe and he fell and became unconscious.

Malan denied firing any shots. Meanwhile, Greyling told the court through his lawyer that he posted on the farmers and residents Whats­App group created for safety and security issues, informing the others that there was a problem.

The message said there was a group of people demonstrating outside. Greyling said the workers showed him the direction where the group was, and he was told that they were carrying sticks and pipes. He said a scuffle broke out and he fired two warning shots.

Greyling said one person from the group was detained. He further denied that he kidnapped anyone.

Magistrate Moses Fankomo rolled over the matter to today for a further bail hearing.

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