This as bail application proceedings, which have previously been marred by numerous delays, were again postponed to November 19. This is despite the matter being moved from court room 20 to 21, so that the matter would not clash with the court roll and proceedings could get underway without interruption.

Shortly after the Magistrate got proceedings underway, there was a brief adjournment. It was revealed that the Bayswater Detective Molebatsi Mogoera’s legal counsel had been changed, but his new legal representative, Advocate Jeremiah Pela, was not present in court at the time. The Magistrate adjourned proceedings to give Mogoera an opportunity to find out where Pela was. His family members could be seen trying frantically to get a hold of his legal counsel via cell phone. During this adjournment Mogoera and his co-accused, court orderly Kagiso Chabane, appeared to be in good spirits as they chatted to officials and friends before proceedings got into full swing again. Businessman and accused number 1 in the matter, Stanley Bakili, remained reserved on the other hand, as he intermittently consulted his legal counsel. Pela eventually arrived a short while later and proceedings again resumed.

The mood of the room became serious as Prosecutor Johan de Nysschen revealed that the state had added conspiracy to commit murder to businessman Stanley Bakili’s charges. De Nysschen said the charges were not related to the murder of Siemens, but to Bakili’s ex-girlfriend. The Magistrate noted that accused no 4, Xolisile Mbebetho, was not present in the court room, to which De Nysschen responded that the man has pleaded guilty to pulling the trigger that killed Siemens and been sentenced to 22 years by the Free State High Court on Thursday, November 9.

The slain Siemens was shot in the basement parking area of Preller Square on Thursday, May 10. Bakili was apprehended for the murder that very day. Mbebetho - a Port Elizabeth native - was apprehended in Phahameng last month after being on the run since the day. He first appeared in the Bloemfontein Magistrate’s Court on October 12 in a leg brace, where the matter was postponed. During Mbebetho’s appearance, it was revealed that his life was in grave danger and his picture could not be taken by the media. The man was detained at a facility that was not disclosed in court at the time because of this. OFM News learned earlier this week that the man was injured in what he believed was an attempt on his life in Kimberley. He is reported to have gone to Kimberley with friends at the time, when he was injured.

OFM News