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One of the four defendants on trial in the High Court in Kimberley for the gruesome murders of Dan Brand (83), his wife, Breggie (76), and their daughter Elzabie (54) on 26 July 2020 on a smallholding outside Hartswater, claims he only washed dust from Elzabie’s stolen Mazda CX5, and not blood.
He was the second accused to testify in his own defence.
According to the state, the Brand victims were assaulted, kidnapped, and killed at their smallholding. They were last seen at their home around 13:00, and reported missing the next day.
Several belongings and two cars, a red Nissan Micra and a silver Mazda, were missing. The night after their disappearance, the police arrested some of the suspects who were found in the Mazda on the N18 route. The red Nissan was discovered abandoned in a quarry.
Realeboga Manyedi, half-brother of co-accused Tshepo Visagie (36), later became a state witness. Dan and Elzabie’s bodies were found in the veld, still with their hands and feet bound, and covered with cloths; and Breggie's body, wrapped in a duvet, in a rock cleft by a spring.
Donald Seoleseng (21) and Visagie, both from Majaneng; Kgomotso Mpumlwana (43) from Rooiwal; and Tsepaone Melato (20) from Pudimoe are each charged with three counts of murder, aggravated robbery, kidnapping, and defeating the ends of justice. They allegedly hid the bodies in the veld around Taung to cover up the murder. Seoleseng is also charged with escaping, and Visagie with allegedly pawning a laptop and mobile phone belonging to the deceased.
Like Seoleseng, Visagie also claimed in his evidence-in-chief that they, together with Melato, were hunting when they “discovered” the two cars at the quarry.
According to Visagie, he peeped into the Mazda and saw three cellphones and laptops while the key was still in the ignition. He never looked inside the Nissan. As Visagie wanted to sell the items, they got into the Mazda whilst he phoned his half-brother, asking him to bring a bucket and meet him a certain tap in Takaneng village. That tap was dry, so they went to another village’s tap and washed dust off the car, the inside as well as the boot. He later sold one laptop for R500 to refuel the car and went to another man to get an extra tyre, as the Mazda’s tyre was faulty.
They went to Mpumlwana’s house to visit relatives and slept at Manyedi's house that evening. The next day they drove off again. Visagie left the two accused next to the railway line in the car in Taung and went to a girlfriend where he stayed “for hours”. He later went back to Mpumlwana’s house who asked him for a lift to go and fetch children. On the way the police stopped the car, but let them go. Soon after he got out and left. The others drove off, after which the police arrested them.
In cross-examination Arnold Nel, Melato’s legal representative, put it to Visagie that he agrees they went hunting and found the two abandoned cars. Melato insists there was blood in the boot when they washed it and that a villager who walked past inquired about the blood. Visagie, still in the witness box, shook his head in denial. At Manyedi’s house later on, Visagie allegedly said he wanted to show Manyedi something.
They all drove off to the veld where Melato saw two tied-up bodies, one had a gown on. He claims he was shocked when he watched as Visagie, Manyedi, and Seoleseng put a body in the boot, and drove to another place where they covered it with branches in the veld. They went back to the abandoned Nissan where Visagie took a female body from the back seat, wrapped it a blanket, and put it in the Mazda’s trunk. They drove off to a place where Visagie, Seleseng, and Manyedi hid the body in the cave.
When Melato asked what they were doing, Visagie told him to keep quiet and not ask questions.
Prosecutor Adele van Heerden accused Visagie of being untruthful. In his cross-examination, Visagie insisted that the reason he only examined inside the Mazda and not the Nissan is that the Nissan’s wheel was punctured. The laptops and cellphones he wanted to sell were inside the Mazda.
Van Heerden said the reason he ignored the Nissan was that he knew of the body inside. The other two bodies that were in the Mazda were already disposed of at the time. According to the timeline, it is improbable that other thiefs stole the cars at 13:00, drove it quite a distance to the quarry, and left it there with the keys in the ignition and laptops inside for Visagie and the others to find it at around 15:00.
He denied that he involved Manyedi, his half-brother, in the crime as family members will not split on him.
Manyedi pointed out the bodies to the police after they were arrested.
The case was postponed to 20 May.
