The key witness, Xolisile Botha Mbebeto, who wrapped up his testimony in the Bloemfontein High Court on Wednesday, has testified how a letter - supposedly intended to threaten him - left him frustrated and upset.

He confirmed that he received the letter from another inmate, Manelisi Mpuru, while in a correctional facility in Kimberley. This inmate, Manelisi Mpuru, also gave testimony in court against Stanley Bakili who allegedly organised the R200 000 hit on Siemens.

In this letter, of which the contents were read out in court by state prosecutor Johan de Nysschen, Mbebeto was allegedly threatened and told that if he continues with the intention to testify in court, his girlfriend and daughter would be killed. 

Mbebeto further testified he was given a certain cell phone number in the letter to contact and he immediately called it. However, the number belonged to the mother of Bakili, who he managed to speak with but nothing ever came from it. 

Since the start of this case in 2018, shortly after the arrest of Bakili and others, some well-known figures have been implicated by Bakili. Apart from Ace Magashule, they include Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi, Free State Health Department Head (HOD) David Motau, and former MEC, Benny Malakoane, amongst others. They have all distanced themselves from Bakili.

OFM News reported in 2019 that a former Grootvlei inmate, Manelisi Mpuru, admitted in court that he played the middleman in transporting a threatening letter to Mbebeto. Mpuru testified that Bakili approached him shortly after he had been transferred from a prison in Kimberley to the Grootvlei Prison outside of Bloemfontein. 

Bakili and others, including Molebatsi  Mogoera, Kagiso Chabane, Molusi, Moeketsi Lesia, Tshivenga, Karabo Tau and Sizwe Mpati are in the dock for the alleged murder of Siemens. They are all between the ages of 29 and 56 and include three police officers, a disbarred advocate, an accused in separate double murder cases, and a military man. The trial continues on Thursday.

OFM News