Share

Carolina Spar assault case: Bail hearing adjourned to December, court awaiting results of postmortem

0:00
play article
Subscribers can listen to this article
  • The bail hearing for two Spar employees and a security guard was delayed due to postmortem results.
  • The formal bail application was adjourned to December.
  • Two friends were kidnapped and taken to the store, where they were assaulted.

Postmortem results have delayed a bail hearing for two Carolina Spar supermarket senior employees and a security guard.

The formal bail application of the accused, which was expected to continue in the Carolina Magistrate's Court on Thursday, was adjourned to December.

Spar supermarket manager William Viljoen, 32, assistant manager Hannes Terblanche, 29, and private security guard Obi Nortjé, 32, are accused of severely assaulting Thulani Sibanyoni, 35, and Thabiso Sibanyoni, 22, (the two not related).

The two friends were kidnapped and taken to the store, where they were beaten with iron bars and batons on 14 August.

Thulani died at the Witbank Hospital on 1 September as a result of the injuries he sustained during the assault.

Bleeding from his head

The victims had been accused of insulting a female employee of the store.

READ | Forensic experts yet to collect evidence from Carolina Spar after deadly assault, court hears

The court previously heard that, after being assaulted, Thabiso was ordered to carry Thulani, who could not walk and was bleeding from his head. 

Thabiso later dropped Thulani on the street and asked for help.

Weak, swollen head

Detective Sergeant Charles Mokwena previously told the court that both Thulani and Thabiso opened criminal cases against their assailants on 27 August.

Mokwena said Thulani's health deteriorated later that day. He felt weak, could not walk and his head was swollen. The wound on his head was also oozing a yellowish substance.

Thulani was then taken to Carolina Hospital and later transferred to the Witbank Hospital, where he later died.

Mokwena pleaded with the court not to grant the accused bail because they might intimidate witnesses.

He said it could also cause an uproar, which could result in Spar being attacked by locals.

The bail hearing for Viljoen, Terblanche and Nortjé continues on 3 December.


Did you know you can comment on this article? Subscribe to News24 and add your voice to the conversation.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should the Proteas pick Faf du Plessis for the T20 World Cup in West Indies and the United States in June?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Faf still has a lot to give ...
68% - 1564 votes
No! It's time to move on ...
32% - 727 votes
Vote
Rand - Dollar
18.64
+0.9%
Rand - Pound
23.41
+0.2%
Rand - Euro
19.98
+0.6%
Rand - Aus dollar
12.24
+0.2%
Rand - Yen
0.12
-0.2%
Platinum
959.90
+3.9%
Palladium
979.00
+2.1%
Gold
2,335.81
-0.1%
Silver
27.15
-0.1%
Brent Crude
89.50
+0.6%
Top 40
70,391
+1.5%
All Share
76,456
+1.4%
Resource 10
64,021
+2.6%
Industrial 25
104,610
+0.7%
Financial 15
16,430
+1.6%
All JSE data delayed by at least 15 minutes Iress logo
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE