Former prosecutor will stay in jail for Easter

Former Thohoyandou prosecutor Leonard Ratshilumela Makhado (49) and his co-accused, Mbofholowo Freedom Tshikovhele (27), will have to spend the Easter weekend behind bars after Judge Nnzudzeni Rambuda postponed their bail application to 19 April.

Makhado and Tshikovhele stand accused of trying to kill and burn down the house of a key witness in another case in which Makhado is accused of corruption and defeating the ends of justice. Makhado was arrested after an investigation by the Hawks’ Serious Corruption Investigation team in Limpopo. He is accused of receiving a bribe to squash a case of reckless and negligent driving in May of 2020.

Makhado was granted bail, but on 15 June 2021 failed to appear before the Sibasa Regional Court. A warrant for his arrest was issued. On 28 March this year, Makhado was supposed to appear in the Giyani Specialised Commercial Crime Court, but again failed to show up, which led to another warrant for his arrest being issued.

Makhado and Tshikovhele were arrested on 30 March 2022 and appeared in the Thohoyandou Magistrate’s Court on 31 March on charges of attempted murder and conspiracy to commit murder.

Their bail application started on 6 and 8 April this year in the Thohoyandou Magistrate’s Court, where Makhado’s legal representative, Advocate Tshifhiwa Matodzi, and prosecutor Jan Krijt started cross-examining them.

Meanwhile, the trial for Makhado’s initial charges of corruption and defeating the ends of justice started on Monday, 11 April, in Giyani’s Specialised Commercial Crimes Court.

Date:14 April 2022

By: Silas Nduvheni

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