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20110405

Leon, Hetta Steyn 2009 massacre Hendriksdal: no trial date…

'18 months after the horrific bloodbath of the Steyn couple on 29 Oct 2009, the five black suspects still do not have High Court trial date...'

Hetta and Leon Steyn Murdered with R5 military assault weapon ArtistCafeHendriksdalOct292009 Steyn couple murdered converted Hendriksdal railway station Sabie Oct292009_thumb[3] Sabie. April 5 2011 - Eighteen months after the double-massacre of guest-house owners Leon and Hetta Steyn on 29 Oct 2009 – the hospitality-experts who ran the Artist's Cafe in the converted Hendriksdal railway station --  the five (out of 9) original black suspects still do not have a scheduled High Court date.

The Afrikaner couple died in a hail of bullets from military-assault carbines by a large militia-style gang. The motive was unknown: nothing whatsoever was robbed. During the one year when the property stood empty however, many of the historic artifacts were looted.

Lowvelder journalist  Nicolene Smalman reports that the case was withdrawn 'for the umteenth time' at Sabie magistrate's court because 'the public prosecutor is still waiting for pending documentary evidence.' The suspects now also are allowed to re-apply for bail on 19 April after 'new evidence' has apparently come to light, and the case against four other suspects was withdrawn. No longer being tried are Nicolas Mndawe, Eddy Mohlala, Stanford Nyalungu and Moses Mokoena. Only five suspects now face trial namely Nicolas Nyalungu, Robert Mgiba, Wanda Ntombeni and two former female workers at the Steyn residence, Cindy Sambo and Dorah Sono. Smalman 'was reliably informed' that the Directorate of Public Prosecutions ordered the case against the first four aforenamed people be dropped because of a lack of evidence. The court heard that other evidence such as photos are still being awaited and that the prosection is waiting for these before setting the trial date in the High Court.


The Steyns were murdered on 29 October 2009 , dying in a hail of bullets fired from either R4- or R5 military assault carbines. The house, its restaurants and guest rooms became a 'little ghost town' for a year until it was taken over by
Ruwart de Jong and Francois de Villiers a year later as the "Artist's Cafe.' De Jong, well known in hospitality circles, said he and De Villiers drove past Hendriksdal in July last year and got interested in the deserted site, located on Transnet property. They rented the property shortly thereafter and started renovating it: "Many of the ornaments installed by the Steyns were looted,' he said. The restaurant and three of the guest-rooms now are in operation again. The two new operators live in the same small house (background picture) where the Steyn couple died so mysteriously. The new restaurant-owners have kept the bullet-holes intact: still marked with forensic-arrows as silent witnesses to the bloodbath which had occurred there, they say.

It is also interesting to note that the very first police report issued by SAPS superintendent Abie Khoabane shortly after the murders, had claimed that the couple were murdered with 'a shotgun'...

http://www.looklocal.co.za/looklocal/content/en/lowveld/lowveld-news-general?oid=4291083&sn=Detail&pid=490171&Hendriksdal-aanvallers-wag-steeds-op-verhoordatum -  previous: http://censorbugbear-reports.blogspot.com/2009/10/popular-sabie-restaurant-owners.html

Sam Hersey, 68, murdered, Midrand

“He was in his car-boot, a plastic bag over his head and a cable-tie around his neck…’

Sam Hersey, 68,  murdered, Vodaworld Midrand

Police have identified the body of a murdered man in Midrand as being Mr Sam Hersey, 68, a resident of Halfway House. He was found murdered in the boot of his car on Feb 9 2011: a plastic bag was tied across his head and he had a cable-tie around his neck. Midrand police spokesman Mmakgamo Semono said Mr Hersey was reported missing by a friend on 3 February.  (source: Sne Gumeda, LookLocal.co.za)  There was no report that anything of value was missing and no report of anyone being arrested.

His body was discovered after a staff member of Vodaworld cellphone centre noticed a strange smell coming from a ‘suspicious’ car said its spokesman Richard Boorman.  The staffer notified security. A murder case has been opened at the Midrand police station, and police are investigating, they claim. No further information has been supplied about Mr Hersey.

HERSEY Sam 68 murdered near Vodaworld Midrand 9Feb2011


http://www.looklocal.co.za/looklocal/content/en/midrand/midrand-news-crime?oid=3095796&sn=Detail&pid=490221&Police-reveal-identity-of-deceased-man-in-car-boot

Why did Juan-Pierre Ralph, 20, die?

Why did Juan-Pierre Ralph, 20,  die near Bredell Dam outside Kempton Park on 26 May 2010?

Kempton Park. -- Kobus and Zelda Ralph, the parents of 20-year-old Juan-Pierre Ralph, won't rest until they know the truth about the way their son died on 26 May 2010. His body was found near the Bredell-dam outside Kempton Park, near a crashed bakkie. The SAPS investigating officer at that time had the young man’s  funeral postponed because he wanted to investigate allegations that JP had been murdered.(source: Annalie Reid, LookLocal.co.za journalist)

Ralph Jean_Pierre 20 mystery death Bredell Dam Kempton Park26May2010The parents also heard contradictory rumours about a mysterious fight and false statements which were made to the police. The post-mortem report stated  that that the young man had sustained two broken arms, a cut to  his nose, had foam inside his lungs and that vital organs such as his lungs, spleen,gall-bladder and liver had burst.

His father Ralph said he saw his son at midnight after he died: and that his appearance at the scene did not match the coroner's description at all: instead, the father said, his son was on his back with his hands on his chest. There was no blood on the scene at all and he had a small scratch to the left-side of his nose."Somebody is hiding something. We want to know what happened so that we can get on with our lives,' he said. The parents asked anyone who could know more about the circumstances of their son's death to contact the investigating officer sergeant Ngewpe at Kempton park SAPS tel 011-570-9291; or Zelda Ralph at 084-324-5497 or 073-875-6674.

http://www.looklocal.co.za/looklocal/content/en/kempton-park/kempton-park-news-general?oid=1462732&sn=Detail&pid=490117&Ouers-soek-antwoorde-op-hul-seun-se-dood-agt-maande-gelede