Latest / Drive with John Perlman / For a "planned and calculated" farm attack, four are in custody.

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For a "planned and calculated" farm attack, four are in custody. · Drive with John Perlman

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Let's move to a different part of the country, to
• 0:02
  Speaker 1: the northwest specifically. Today, a Fentisdorp magistrate's court hearing the
• 0:08
  Speaker 1: initial stages of the trial of four men who have
• 0:12
  Speaker 1: been charged with a violent farm attack on a farmer
• 0:15
  Speaker 1: in the area, Donovan Marks. And can I just warn
• 0:18
  Speaker 1: people that some of the details that we may share
• 0:20
  Speaker 1: here could be disturbing. So please bear that in mind
• 0:23
  Speaker 1: either for yourself or or perhaps young people who are
• 0:26
  Speaker 1: in your company at the moment. This is a case
• 0:28
  Speaker 1: that many people are aware of. The charges are attempted murder,
• 0:33
  Speaker 1: robbery with aggravating circumstances, assault, as well as possession of
• 0:37
  Speaker 1: guns and ammunition. But the case involved Donovan Marks, who
• 0:43
  Speaker 1: was 50, being shot, stabbed, and had both of his
• 0:46
  Speaker 1: ears cut off in a most brutal attack. on this
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  Speaker 1: particular farmer in the Northwest. Covering today's proceedings and joining
• 0:54
  Speaker 1: us from Newsroom Africa is Rafiwe Siboko, who regularly covers
• 1:00
  Speaker 1: Northwest issues and various things happening in that part of
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  Speaker 1: the country. Rafiwe, a very good afternoon to you. Was
• 1:07
  Speaker 1: any progress made in the court today? Any important developments?
• 1:10
  Speaker 1: Good afternoon to you.
• 1:12
  Speaker 2: Good afternoon, John. Good afternoon to the listeners of 702.
• 1:15
  Speaker 2: Thank you so much for having me. So that was
• 1:18
  Speaker 2: his first court appearance of the suspect. Today, four of
• 1:23
  Speaker 2: the five that were arrested making their first appearance in
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  Speaker 2: the Fenton Stop Magistrate Court. And the matter then being
• 1:28
  Speaker 2: postponed to the 13th of November for possible bail application,
• 1:35
  Speaker 2: including that of robbery. illegal possession of firearms and ammunition
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  Speaker 2: in attempted murder. In that incident that you just talked
• 1:43
  Speaker 2: about there, Donovan is still in hospital. The indication is
• 1:50
  Speaker 2: that he is still in serious condition.
• 1:56
  Speaker 1: Okay, I wonder, Rufiwa, can you just move around a
• 1:59
  Speaker 1: little bit if possible and see if we can get
• 2:01
  Speaker 1: a better connection? Let's try one more time. We heard
• 2:04
  Speaker 1: you say that Donovan Marks was in hospital in a
• 2:07
  Speaker 1: serious condition. I wonder if you could pick it up there, please.
• 2:11
  Speaker 2: Yeah, so Donovan Marks still remains in the hospital following
• 2:15
  Speaker 2: that incident where his ears were allegedly cut off. And
• 2:18
  Speaker 2: we saw the suspects in this matter appearing for the
• 2:21
  Speaker 2: first time in the Fenderstorff Magistrate Court today. four that
• 2:25
  Speaker 2: made their first appearance, and the five who was also
• 2:28
  Speaker 2: in the dark, the fifth, I should say, has now
• 2:31
  Speaker 2: turned state witness because following the investigations or the engagement
• 2:36
  Speaker 2: with the investigating officer in the state, it then was
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  Speaker 2: revealed that the fifth suspect, was not actively involved in
• 2:45
  Speaker 2: this crime incident as much as he was aware of
• 2:49
  Speaker 2: what was happening. And this is based, according to the
• 2:52
  Speaker 2: provincial police commissioner, Arthur Peter, saying that there was an
• 2:57
  Speaker 2: engagement with the investigating officer and the state. And then
• 3:02
  Speaker 2: it then emerged or was revealed that the fifth suspect
• 3:07
  Speaker 2: in this matter was wasn't, you know, actively involved. And
• 3:10
  Speaker 2: now he's going to turn a statement when the matter
• 3:14
  Speaker 2: will also be returning to court on the 13th, I
• 3:19
  Speaker 2: should say, of November.
• 3:20
  Speaker 1: And Rufiwe, that's a summary of what happened in the court,
• 3:25
  Speaker 1: outside a number of people gathering, a lot of protests
• 3:29
  Speaker 1: and banners. Tell us what you saw there and who
• 3:33
  Speaker 1: was saying what.
• 3:34
  Speaker 2: Yeah, so these are local farmers and the community of
• 3:37
  Speaker 2: Offender Stop. There was also an organization, Stop Farm Murders organization,
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  Speaker 2: which was represented by Petrus Pakamile Sito, who indicated that,
• 3:49
  Speaker 2: you know, they are tired of these killings and the
• 3:51
  Speaker 2: farm attacks. And as the suspects have been arrested and
• 3:55
  Speaker 2: making their first appearance today, They are not particularly confident
• 4:01
  Speaker 2: in the justice system of the country because then maybe
• 4:04
  Speaker 2: after 10 years or so, sex suspects will be granted
• 4:06
  Speaker 2: parole and they will continue to torture people because of
• 4:13
  Speaker 2: the justice system failing, you know, this is according to
• 4:18
  Speaker 2: Patrice Pakamile. We also saw the CEO of Afri from Kalikrio,
• 4:25
  Speaker 2: you know, being part of those that are attending those
• 4:27
  Speaker 2: proceedings as well, who said that they did not, they
• 4:31
  Speaker 2: are not, they are on the strongest terms. But that
• 4:37
  Speaker 2: is true.
• 4:40
  Speaker 1: Okay, just losing Rufiwe Siboko at the last moment there.
• 4:44
  Speaker 1: Newsroom Africa's reporter in the Northwest province where she does
• 4:48
  Speaker 1: excellent coverage of many, many stories, including this one. Keep
• 4:52
  Speaker 1: an eye out for her work on Channel 405. She's
• 4:55
  Speaker 1: covering this story very closely indeed. It's half past three.