Groblersdal – The bail application for 63-year-old farmer Piet Groenewald and his 27-year-old son Stephen Greef was suspended Wednesday after a police investigator brought “new” and “concrete” evidence against the pair.
Father and son are accused of assaulting their worker and setting vicious dogs on him, appeared in the Groblersdal Magistrate’s Court in Limpopo.
The pair was arrested for the alleged assault of 30-year-old security employee Veneruru Kavari whom they also allegedly injected with an unknown substance.
On Wednesday, the court viewed video footage that shows the suspects assaulting Kavari on their farm, where he was bitten by their guard dogs.
The disturbing footage was one of the reasons the court suspended the bail hearing.
Last week on Wednesday, (31 January 2024), during Groenewald and Greef’s court appearance, evidence was led that Kavari reported for duty while under the influence of alcohol and armed with a panga.
On that day the suspects’ bail hearing was adjourned and the pair remanded in custody until today.
Proceedings came to a halt soon after police investigating officer Detective Constable Gregory Malesenya furnished the court with the crime scene footage, which was viewed.
It also emerged that Groenewald was previously convicted on an attempted murder case and released on parole.
The court also heard that before Groenewald was convicted, he was granted bail while on trial.
Groenewald skipped bail until he was re-arrested. He remained in custody until his conviction.
The court also heard that Greef has a pending court case regarding a firearm.
The matter is on hold pending the results of a ballistic test on the gun.
The highly-publicised case against Groenewald and Greef has sparked racial tensions and drawn the attention of political parties including the African National Congress.
Members of various political parties converged outside the court in one word that the suspects should be denied bail.
With the bail hearing suspended the accused will remain in custody.
Meanwhile, AfriForum said Wednesday that it has deployed “community safety structures” in Groblersdal amid rising tensions
Ahead of the resumption of the bail hearing, AfriForum said it was aware of a large gathering planned by political parties in Groblersdal as the case of a father and son accused of assaulting a security guard continues in court.
According to Llewelyn Hemmens, AfriForum’s Head of Safety for the Northern Region, the organisation’s community safety structures were present in Groblersdal, “to ensure the safety of the community and to protect possible targets such as schools and retirement homes, and vulnerable community members amid rising tensions”.
The civil rights body said it has established a clear line of communication with the local South African Police Service (SAPS) and will ensure that the organisations’ presence here has a stabilising effect within the confines of the law.
“AfriForum’s top priority is to keep the Groblersdal community safe from any group that seeks to cause chaos or further escalate tensions,” said Hemmens.
However, there have been no reports of violence or damage to property.
