Latest news with #MiddelburgHighCourt
The Citizen
12-07-2025
- The Citizen
Middelburg court jails security guard for shooting municipal workers
Nqubeko Brian Mchunu (43) was yesterday sentenced in the Middelburg High Court for the 2022 shooting of municipal workers at the Steve Tshwete Local Municipality. According to Middelburg Observer, Mchunu was employed as a security guard by PPP Protection and Security, a company hired to protect municipal infrastructure during a spate of strikes that, at times, turned violent, with the assault of contractors and damage to vehicles. He was convicted of one count of murder for the shooting death of Tshepo Maseko and three counts of attempted murder in respect of Sarel Vilakazi, Harris Sithole and Sibusiso Thabang. Acting Judge GB Herman, in sentencing, said Mchunu had shown no remorse during the trial, insisting he only shot the victims to protect himself. He added that the lives of the victims would never be the same again and that those who lost a loved one would remain with only memories. Mchunu was sentenced to 25 years for murder. He received 14 years for three counts of attempted murder (seven years on each count). The sentences will run concurrently. He will serve 25 years' imprisonment. The court also declared him unfit to possess a firearm. Members of the South African Municipal Workers' Union and the victims said that although they were disappointed by the number of years Mchunu received, they were grateful he had been punished for his acts. Breaking news at your fingertips… Follow Caxton Network News on Facebook and join our WhatsApp channel. Nuus wat saakmaak. Volg Caxton Netwerk-nuus op Facebook en sluit aan by ons WhatsApp-kanaal. Read original story on At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
The Citizen
10-07-2025
- The Citizen
Woman accused of raping 4-year-old family member appears in Mpumalanga court
A 20-year-old woman appeared in the Middelburg High Court this week on a charge of rape. She is accused of raping a four-year-old boy. The alleged rape occurred on April 5 last year in Arnot, Mpumalanga, at the boy's home. The boy's mother told Middelburg Observer that she had gone to town in Hendrina on the day of the incident. When she returned, an 11-year-old boy, who witnessed the incident, informed her of what had happened while she was gone. He said that the suspect went into the bathroom for a long time with the boy, who was naked at that time. The suspect, who is the mother's cousin, was looking after the young boy at the time of the alleged rape. The mother said she could not believe what the witness was saying, so she decided to wait for her cousin to return home to question her. After the suspect arrived home, she spoke to both the witness and the suspect to find out what had happened. The witness told the mother that he saw the suspect in the bathroom on top of the boy, while the child was naked. The suspect denied this and said she took the boy to the bathroom because he had wet himself. Distraught, the mother called the police and reported the matter. The mother alleges that the suspect then admitted she raped the boy, stating that each time she saw the child naked, she got aroused. She stated that the police officers who first arrived on the scene refused to arrest the suspect and even suggested that they should resolve the matter as a family, as the suspect might have been possessed by a demon. The victim was later taken to the Middelburg Provincial Hospital for medical attention. A case of rape was opened at the Hendrina Police Station, however, the case was later transferred to the Middelburg Police Station. According to the mother, the suspect allegedly admitted to raping the minor child multiple times. She also allegedly admitted that she started raping the child when he was two years old. The suspect has since been released on bail and was ordered to move out of the house for the safety of both the minor victim and the witness. The mother said her child is battling to cope since the incident happened, and the witness is struggling to come to terms with what he saw. The case was postponed to December for trial. Breaking news at your fingertips… Follow Caxton Network News on Facebook and join our WhatsApp channel. Nuus wat saakmaak. Volg Caxton Netwerk-nuus op Facebook en sluit aan by ons WhatsApp-kanaal. Read original story on At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
