A State witness testified against a couple accused of killing Naledi mayor Motloi “Joko” Motlantsi at the Bloemfontein High Court on Monday.
Sabata Potele who was allegedly a co-schemer in the murder plot turned State witness and was now kept in the witness protection programme.
Former official Caroline Mokhothu and her paramedic husband James Mokhothu stand accused of conspiring to kill Motlantsi at his Wepener home in the eastern Free State in May last year.
Caroline who was director of corporate governance at Naledi, occasionally also acted as the municipality's manager.
At the time infighting between councillors, municipal officials and workers at Naledi had plagued the municipality from 2006 until Motlantsi's murder.
The Free State government disbanded the Naledi town council, based in Dewetsdorp, soon after the killing and appointed an administrator until new elections could be held.
The assassin in the matter Senowe Khaka, 28, from Lesotho, admitted to the murder already and was sentenced to 21 years imprisonment.
The case continues. – Sapa