Harrowing footage shown at Phoenix unrest murder trial
Four men are on trial on charges including murder, attempted murder and public violence linked to the July 2021 unrest in KwaZulu-Natal.
Trevor Gopal, Ravine Naidoo, Tyreece Govender and Timothy Govender are on trial for the murder of Njabulo Dlamini.
State witness Anard Chetty took the stand as the court viewed surveillance footage from 12 July 2021, showing a taxi arriving at Tees Tavern in Phoenix, owned by Gopal.
Moments after the taxi arrived, a man from the tavern approached the vehicle and spoke to its occupants, which included Dlamini, Nkosikhona Madlala and Sandile Colin Sambo.
The court previously heard that they had gone to the establishment to buy alcohol, which Gopal was allegedly selling illegally during the COVID-19 lockdown.
In the footage, several cars were soon seen pulling in and blocking the taxi from leaving.
READ: SAHRC worried by ‘slow’ justice for unrest victims
State witness Chetty, who worked at the tavern, told the court on Monday that some of the vehicles belonged to Gopal.
He testified that Gopal is not visible in the footage because he avoided being captured on camera but was at the scene giving instructions.
A man with a stick is seen pulling the people out of the taxi and forcing them to sit on the ground.
Chetty identified him as Gopal’s brother. The video then shows a group of men attacking the three taxi occupants.
Two of them managed to flee, and some in the crowd went after them.
Dlamini was struck on the head with a rock and a hammer. He later died in the hospital.
Madlala and Sambo survived the attack.
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