Bloemfontein - Two men pleaded not guilty in the Bloemfontein High Court on Tuesday to the murders of a Trompsburg farmer and his wife in September last year.
Judge Albert Kruger was hearing evidence in the murder trial of Nkululeko Mvumvu, 26, from Trompsburg and Phineas Tuto Mothibi, 29, of the farm Knoppe, near Trompsburg.
Johannes Fourie, 71, and his wife, Cecilia, 72, were assaulted and killed on the farm on September 9, last year.
Neighbouring farmers and police found them dead after they missed a security call over a rural security radio network.
They had been shot and assaulted with an axe and a spade.
Mvumvu and Mothibi pleaded not guilty to five charges, including housebreaking and firearm and ammunition-related charges.
Earlier, a third accused, Moeketsi Hlaasa, 27, was sentenced to two life imprisonment terms for the killings. His case was separated from that of Mvumvu and Mothibi after he pleaded guilty to all charges.
The court sentenced Hlaasa to a further 15 years imprisonment for housebreaking with intent to commit robbery and 15 years for the unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition.
In his plea explanation Hlaasa said Mvumvu shot the couple.
However, in his plea explanation Mvumvu indicated Hlaasa had only asked him to hide a black bag with a weapon in it two days after the murders. Mothibi entered no plea explanation.
State prosecutor Sophie Giorgi handed in several exhibits to the court at the start of the trial. These included a wood-handle hand axe, a garden spade, two empty liquor bottles, two small calibre pistols, ammunition, and several other items.
The case continues. - Sapa