THE much-anticipated pre-trial of the two accused in the Lismor Farm massacre in Kestell in the Free State is expected to resume in the Free State High Court sitting in Harrismith on Monday, 11 March.
The accused, Kamohelo Motankisi (36) and Lerato Selepe(24), were arrested for the murder of six women and a teenage boy on Friday, 15 July 2022.
The victims includesed Binto Smit (55), her son Rudi Smit (17), and her five employees Nokufa Monareng (30), Lerato Moloi (33), Mothoduwa Moloi (36), Nomasonto Zulu (56), and Nomasontsha Maduna (43).
The accused are facing seven charges of murder, armed robbery and unlawful possession of firearms.
They have made numerous appearances in the Kestell Magistrates Court before the case was transferred to the high court in January 2024.
The families' spokeswoman Kheleni Radebe said the regular postponements had negatively affected the families who want closure on the matter.
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"We had sleepless nights following the identification of bodies of our love ones who were violently butchered. The facial appearances of the accused says they're not yet finished. We're still traumatised following what we have seen in the mortuary.
"We need to close this chapter.W e viewed this attack as a generational curse in our lifetime. We don't have answers to the deceased's children. We call on the high court to sentence the accused to 100 years in prison. Justice delayed is justice denied," she said
Community leader Tankiso Motaung said they didn't expect anymore postponements.
"This is a straight forward case. The accused were bust in possession of murder weapons, according to the police. We don't want this case to take 10 years as is the habit in our justice system. We hope the state is ready for a pre-trial. We don't want to see them back in our community. Otherwise, we will opt for public prosecution," said Tankiso
However, the Free State MEC for the Department of Agriculture, Rural development and Land Reform, Teboho Saki Mokoena said the rate of farm murders had declined over the past two years.
Mokoena said the farmers and rural communities were working together with police to combat crime.
"We can attest that most farms have CCTV cameras. Farmers have their committees, associations and patrollers," he said.
The residents are expected to picked outside the high court.
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