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By Palesa Matlala
- Murder accused Matipandile Sotheni denied shooting Witness D and claimed a dead South African Police Service reservist wanted him killed.
- Police told the Brakpan Magistrates Court that Sotheni was found with an AK47 rifle and ammunition believed to be stolen from police stock.
The bail fight for the man accused of murdering a key Madlanga Commission witness is expected to continue in the Brakpan Magistrates Court on Wednesday after shocking allegations exploded in court earlier this week.
Matipandile Sotheni faces 16 charges linked to the killing of Marius van der Merwe, also known as Witness D.
The charges include murder, attempted murder and conspiracy to commit murder.
On Monday, the courtroom heard two very different versions of what happened before Van der Merwe was gunned down.
During the first day of his bail application, Sotheni denied pulling the trigger.
Instead, he pointed fingers at dead South African Police Service reservist Wiandre Pretorius, who died by suicide in February.
Pretorius allegedly killed himself after being implicated by Van der Merwe at the Madlanga Commission in crimes including murder and disposing of a body.
Sotheni claimed Pretorius wanted him dead.
He told the court Pretorius contacted him asking for help with a “problem”, but insisted he did not know what that problem was.
Sotheni maintained he had nothing to do with Van der Merwe’s murder.
But the investigating officer challenged his version in court.
The State believes Sotheni played a direct role in the killing.
He is facing Schedule Six charges, the most serious category of offences under South African law.
These include murder, conspiracy to commit murder and three counts of attempted murder.
The court also heard that Sotheni was allegedly found with a licensed AK47 rifle and a large stash of ammunition.
Some of the ammunition is believed to have been stolen from the South African Police Service.
Because the charges fall under Schedule Six, Sotheni faces a steep battle to secure bail.
He must convince the court that exceptional circumstances exist and that releasing him would be in the interests of justice.
The matter is expected to continue on Wednesday.
Pictured above: Matipandile Sotheni appeared in the Brakpan Magistrates Court over the murder of Madlanga Commission witness Marius van der Merwe.
Image source: File
