| 2024/12/17 |
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Media Statement POTCHEFSTROOM – Five suspects appeared before the Wolmaransstad Magistrate’s Court on Thursday, 12 December 2024, on charges of kidnapping and two counts of murder. The suspects’ court appearance stems from their apprehension on Tuesday, 10 December 2024, by members of the Provincial Anti-Gang Unit as well as Kanana and Leeudoringstad police stations. It is alleged that members received information about the two men who were reported kidnapped in Kanana near Orkney. The information was operationalised and led the members to a certain house in Kanana, although neither the suspects nor the victims were found. Furthermore, members were led to a farm between Orkney and Leeudoringstad whereupon investigation, two bodies of African males were found buried in the shallow graves. Preliminary investigation revealed that the bodies were allegedly burned before they were buried. The farm owner Khulelaphi Joseph Bernard (53) together with his niece Dikopo Alvin Bani (27) who was found with blood stained clothes, were arrested at the farm. Later during the same day, community members at Kanana arrested a Lesotho foreign national known as Takana Takana (36) who was sought in connection with the kidnapping of the two victims. It was further established that the farm owner has a bottle store in Kanana which was broken into during the weekend, and on Sunday, 08 December 2024, he allegedly arranged the two men and they all went to look for the suspects themselves. They eventually found the suspects and forcefully loaded them into the back of the Nissan NP300 bakkie and drove away, that was the last time the victims were seen alive. One of the deceased’s body was mutilated while the other had a cut on a throat. Meanwhile, the other two suspects, Siyabonga Bernard (22) and his friend Obakeng Seiphetlho (28) handed themselves over to the police on Wednesday, 11 December 2024, and were charged with kidnapping and two counts of murder. However, all charges against Seiphetlho were dropped after being turned into a state witness. The remaining four were remanded in custody until their next appearance at the same Court on Thursday, 19 December 2024, for a formal bail application. The vehicle that was used in the commission of the crimes, was confiscated. The Provincial Commissioner of North West, Lieutenant General Sello Kwena, condemned this heinous act of crime in the strongest possible terms. He applauded the police and members of the community for assisting each other in ensuring that the alleged perpetrators are brought to book to face the full might of the law. Investigation into the matter continues. Ends
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