Lindley farm worker Stemmer Mofokeng’s testimony in the Potgieter family murder trial was strongly contested by his co-accused in the Bloemfontein High Court on Thursday
Mofokeng testified that while working in the garden on the day of the incident he saw three armed men arriving at the farm.
He warned two other farm workers at the barn and later he was threatened with a knife by one of them, in a donga in which they hid until dark.
Mofokeng, accused no 1 in the case, testified that co-accused Paulus Khumalo, who allegedly threatened him in the donga, told him and the other farm worker, Klaas Mofokeng, they should go to town after dark.
In town he was given money to keep quiet about what he saw on the farm.
Potgieter, his wife and two-year-old daughter were assaulted and murdered on the farm near Lindley on December 1, 2010.
During cross-examination, Khumalo’s legal counsel Oupa Makhene told Stemmer Mofokeng that Khumalo indicated he was lying in “most” of his evidence.
“You fully took part in the planning of this crime.”
Makhene said his instructions from Khumalo were that he, Stemmer Mofokeng, actually made the suggestion that Attie Potgieter should be attacked because he had a safe in the house.
Mofokeng earlier testified that the idea to rob Potgieter was Khumalo’s.
Makhene said Khumalo also indicated that all three of the farm workers, hid in the donga and eventually went to meet the other three accused in town to “share the spoils of the attack”.
“You went to the location to go and share in the spoil, the money accused 4, 5, 6 had collected at the farm.”
Pieter Nel, defence counsel for accused 4 and 5, said Tshekolo Lelala and Telleko Seekoei denied that they attacked Attie Potgieter as testified by Mofokeng.
Mofokeng told the court he saw Potgieter run towards the barn, chased by Lelala, who had a panga.
He saw that Potgieter was too strong for Lelala and watched as the farmer wrestled Lelala to the ground. Seekoei then arrived and started stabbing Potgieter in the back with what looked like a knife.
“They tell lies to the court,” Mofokeng replied, to Lelala and Seekoei’s denials of the attack.
Mofokeng also denied State prosecutor Jannie Botha’s argument that he was downplaying his role in the incident during testimony.
He blamed “that translator” for words he apparently did not use, such as “doodmaak” (kill) in his first statement before a magistrate shortly after the Potgieter attack.
Mofokeng’s legal counsel Chris Gerber closed his defence at the end of the day’s proceedings.
Accused no 2 in the matter, Klaas Mofokeng, was expected to testify in his defence on Friday.
The men face three counts of murder, one of robbery with aggravating circumstances and charges relating to the illegal possession of firearms and ammunition.
They have pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The case continues. -
Sapa