Limpopo farmer accused of assaulting cop set to apply for bail
Francois van der Merwe is among four suspects from the small farming town facing assault charges assault and public violence.
Picture: Pixabay.com
JOHANNESBURG - The bail application for a Limpopo farmer accused of assaulting a police officer is back in the Groblersdal Magistrates Court.
Francois van der Merwe is among four suspects from the small farming town facing assault charges assault and public violence.
The accused were among hundreds of people outside the local court last month to support two other suspects charged with assaulting their employee.
Piet Groenewald and his stepson, Stephan Greeff, were arrested after setting a dog on security guard, Veneruru Kavari.
The State alleges that Van der Merwe unlawfully and intentionally incited a group of about 100 people to cross a crowd management line and assault police outside the court.
The group displayed flags of the former Transvaal government outside the court.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA)'s Mashudu Malabi-Dzhangi: "The State will oppose their bail application and the State will call Petros Scheepers to tesify."
The defence has accused the State of succumbing to undue political pressure to oppose Van der Merwe’s bail.