Wednesday November 29, 2006 06:16 - (SA)
Frank Maponya
There were neither baboons nor any other wild animals near where Jealous Dube was shot dead, said Happius Mpofu, a state witness testifying against farmer Jewell Crossberg.
Crossberg, 52, is alleged to have shot at a group of his employees on his farm in Musina on June 21 2004.
One of the bullets struck Dube, 27, who died instantly.
The farmer is standing trial in the Polokwane high court, charged with Dube’s murder and the attempted murder of four others.
The four, now in the care if the police’s witness protection unit, are expected to testify against their former employer.
So far, only Mpofu has given testimony.
Jaap Cilliers, representing Crossberg, told the court that his client had told him that a troop of baboons that he wanted to scare off was in the area when he accidentally killed Dube.
He said Crossberg had warned his employees against walking in the veld because of the danger of being shot by hunters. Mpofu has refuted this.
“My client denies seeing human beings, only baboons, when he fired the shots.
“It was only an accident that the bullet struck Dube.
“He also denied having fired seven shots,” said Cilliers.
Mpofu said Crossberg was aware that he was shooting at his employees, whom he had accused of being lazy.
“If Crossberg did not see any human beings then why did he speak to us, his employees, before pulling out a rifle from behind one of his vehicle’s seats?” asked Mpofu.
Mpofu said Crossberg got out of his car and fired five shots in the direction of the farm workers, then turned towards Dube and another employee.
Crossberg stood motionless in the dock.
Mpofu said he knew of no motive for the killing of Dube and that, to his knowledge, there had never been a confrontation between Crossberg and Dube.
Dube, Mpofu, Kenneth Mlambo, Elias Ngulube and Onisimo Musa were walking on the farm road when the shooting happened.
The trial is set to end on Friday.
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