Well-known teacher and traditional leader Freddie Shikundu will spend Christmas behind bars, after his bail application was turned down in the Malamulele Magistrate’s Court last Friday.

State prosecutor Mr Vusi Segodi made a submission to magistrate Wilhelm Smith that most of the particulars the accused had given were not true and that meant they were not reliable witnesses and therefore could not be trusted. Magistrate Smith agreed with Segodi that it would prejudice the state’s case.

In the dock for bail was Shikundu, 49, of Manghena village, Albert Macebele, of Jerome village and Doctor Monareng of Bushbuckridge. They are each facing one charge of attempted robbery, robbery, possession of an unlicensed firearm and arson.

It is alleged that, on October 2, they attempted to rob a bottle store at Nkavele, which they had robbed on a previous occasion and also a charge for arson, after a hut belonging to one of the civic members at Xikundu, where Shikundu is a headman, was set alight. Shikundu is also facing more than 20 counts of fraud in connection with tribal levies.

Insp Reckson Chauke of the South African Police Services at Saselamani had opposed bail, on the grounds that their release on bail would jeopardise the state’s case.

He said Shikundu was the mastermind in the case and, on the day of the attempted murder, his car was used to carry the suspects to and from the scene.

He also said that, after Shikundu was charged with several counts of fraud in a separate case, one of the complainants’ huts was burnt down and Macebele was linked to the case.
Chauke said it meant witnesses were being intimidated against giving evidence in the case involving Shikundu. He also said Monareng gave differing physical addresses and that showed his unreliability.

Prosecutor Vusi Segodi said Shikundu was an unreliable witness because, although he has been a teacher for the past 25 years, he told the court he was getting R3 000 a month.

“He also said he had no passport and I produced one to show he was lying. When I asked him to read the names, he read without problems, but when I asked him to read the expiry date, he said he could not read without glasses,” said Segodi. Segodi also said Monareng said he had only one previous case and the prosecution showed him a list of cases, and that showed his unreliability.

A crowd of anxious villagers had gathered at the court, anxiously waiting for the judgment.
The case has been postponed to January 15, 2009.