Xolisile Botha Mbebeto on Friday asked Judge Pitso Molitsoane for the matter not to be discussed further. Mbebeto, who is serving 22 years in prison for the murder of Siemens, says he has investigated the matter himself and reached a conclusion of his own. He, however, did not elaborate on his statement further.

Mbebeto earlier implored Judge Molitsoane to let him address the court on the attempts to kill him after he was allegedly knocked down by a vehicle which landed him in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at the hospital. He earlier told the court he had evidence about the accident.

OFM News previously reported in 2019 that a former Grootvlei inmate, Manelisi Mpuru, admitted in court that he played middleman in transporting a threatening letter to Mbebeto. In this handwritten letter, which murder accused Stanley Bakili denies ever writing, he allegedly threatened to have Mbebeto as well as his girlfriend and his daughter killed, should he continue with his testimony as a state witness.

Mpuru testified that Bakili approached him shortly after he had been transferred from a prison in Kimberley to the Grootvlei Prison outside of Bloemfontein.

Meanwhile, security has been tightened around Mbebeto. During his appearance at court this week, he has been ushered by at least five heavily armed Department of Correctional Services' members, while also wearing a bulletproof vest. He has been testifying in the trial against Bakili and seven others. They are accused of the murder of Siemens who was gunned down on 10 May 2018 in the basement parking area of the Preller Square Shopping Complex.

OFM News