The court previously ordered that the three may not be named. They face charges of murder and attempted murder.

Bozwana died in hospital after he and a female companion, Mpho Baloyi, were shot at while sitting in a yellow Renault Clio in Pretoria in October 2015.

Baloyi was behind the wheel. They were stationary at a traffic light on the N1 Garsfontein off-ramp when a BMW M3 pulled up next to them. A man got out and opened fire. Bozwana, 43, was hit at least nine times. Baloyi was shot twice and survived.

Two men were initially arrested. They were found in possession of semi-automatic and automatic rifles and ammunition. The third man was arrested in January 2016.

Bozwana was chairperson of the North West Business Forum. Members of the forum believed a hit was ordered on Bozwana in a bid to silence him because he spoke out against corruption and the alleged blacklisting of some companies by the provincial government and its premier, Supra Mahumapelo.

City Press reported in June 2016 that the North West government had approached the Constitutional Court to try and stop Bozwana from attaching 44 government-owned vehicles and a state bank account with a balance of R30m. He was seeking a payment of more than R40m owed to him for the construction of a hospital in Brits.

-News24.com