Africa-Press – South-Africa. The man accused of ordering a hit on his businesswoman wife and her friend will now stand trial in the Polokwane High Court in Limpopo on 1 August 2022.
Thabo Stanley Leshabane, 57, allegedly hired four hitmen from Gauteng to kill his wife Makoena Mabusela-Leshabane, 46, and her friend, Tebogo Mphuti, 35.
The two were shot dead after viewing a business property that was for sale in Polokwane on 10 October 2020.
Leshabane will stand trial with four co-accused, Ndondo Buthelezi, 25, John Zulu, 30, Bhekumuzi Phiyose, 34, and Thembelani Dlamini, 30.
Nhlanhla ‘Lux’ Dlamini granted R1 500 bail, ordered to surrender passport
They appeared before Judge Gerrit Muller in the Polokwane High Court on Monday.
Muller directed that all technicalities and other related matters should have been cleared to avoid unnecessary delays when the trial starts on 1 August.
He gave the directive after the new lawyers for the accused indicated that they were not ready to proceed with the trial on Monday, and sought a postponement.
Leshabane also complained that he was not feeling well as he suffers from a heart condition and was therefore not fit to proceed with the trial.
The judge apologised to the family of the two deceased for the delay of the start of the trial.
The five accused will remain in custody. They were all denied bail in the Polokwane Magistrate’s Court a year ago.
During their bail application, it emerged that Leshabane had admitted to the crime and that he had also attempted to commit suicide soon after the incident.
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