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News24 reports that the murder trial of former North West deputy police commissioner Major General William Mpembe and his five co-accused continued in the North West High Court in Mahikeng on Monday.
Defence advocate Kobus Burger continued with his cross-examination of Sergeant Benjamin Mahume. Burger sought to understand the sequence of events on 13 August 2012 when police and mineworkers clashed at Lonmin K3 shaft in Marikana. Striking miners were allegedly looking for other miners who had reported for duty at the K3 shaft, when horrific scenes unfolded. Five people died, namely mineworkers Semi Jokanisi, Phumzile Sokhanyile and Thembelakhe Mati, and police officers Hendrick Monene and Sello Lepaaku. Mpembe, retired Colonel Salmon Vermaak, Constable Nkosana Mguye, as well as Warrant Officers Collin Mogale, Joseph Sekgwetla and Khazamola Makhubela, are in the dock in connection with allegations relating to the events, which happened three days before the infamous Marikana massacre. Mahume was a constable attached to Rustenburg Public Order Policing (POP) unit on that day and was ordered to go to the mine to support officers from other units who were on the scene. He was questioned about what defence lawyers believed were discrepancies between a statement he submitted to the Independent Police Investigative Directorate in February 2017 and evidence he had given in court. Burger represents Vermaak, who was the North West police airwing commander on that day. Mahume was testifying during his fifth day of cross-examination. The trial resumed on 10 May and is expected to run until 28 May.
- Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Sesona Ngqakamba at News24
- Read too, Marikana trial: 'No truth is coming out', say mineworkers' families, at News24
Get other news reports at the SA Labour News home page