Shebe Maburna is pushing back against the shooting case that has kept him behind bars. The Lekompo star, whose real name is Lehlogonolo Chauke, says his defense expert lacked the hard proof needed to check the gunfire claims against him.
During a tense round of questions at Polokwane Magistrate’s Court, prosecutor Kgaugelo Lekoloane pressed Chauke about work done by Jan Christophell de Klerk, also called Christo de Klerk. His lawyers had hired the ballistics expert to look at photos and witness accounts.
But the expert had little to work with, according to Chauke. His defense says the case file lacked a lab report, gun records, ammo details, spent shells, and bullets. Even witness accounts that could back up claims of a shot being fired were missing, the legal team argued.
And Chauke says the gaps go far beyond ballistics. He claims the state has failed to show clear proof tying him to a gun or the ammo linked to the case.
The dispute stems from an encounter on Witklip Street in Ladanna, Polokwane. Prosecutors allege that two men in a car spotted the musician and greeted him as fans. After asking if they were proud of him, he allegedly fired toward them.
One of those men, Petrus Ralefatana, suffered a severe jaw injury, according to the prosecution. The car sustained damage as well. Chauke denies the account and claims he was set up.
De Klerk also questioned how the shot could have hit the victim. Based on the headrest damage and wound location, he said the proposed bullet path made little sense unless the injured man had turned his head in an unlikely way.
Medical records raised another issue. The expert said they did not give him enough clinical proof to confirm gunshot injuries. Instead, they described puncture wounds and relied partly on an account supplied by the victim's friend.
Advocate Mutheiwana Sikhwari and the defense team have raised further concerns about how investigators dealt with evidence. They say the disclosed file lacked CCTV video that placed Chauke at the site. A lengthy affidavit also disputes the way police merged the charges.
It's a lot for one bail fight. Chauke faces 21 counts, with allegations ranging from attempted murder and serious assault to property damage and illegal gun and ammo possession.
Prosecutors want him kept in jail, citing the gravity of the claims and the expanded charge sheet. Chauke, meanwhile, says some counts had been dropped before being brought back, a point his lawyers want treated as fresh grounds for bail.
Earlier bids for release failed, and he has remained locked up since his arrest. The court is still hearing his fresh application, with no final decision on bail reported in the supplied account.
During a tense round of questions at Polokwane Magistrate’s Court, prosecutor Kgaugelo Lekoloane pressed Chauke about work done by Jan Christophell de Klerk, also called Christo de Klerk. His lawyers had hired the ballistics expert to look at photos and witness accounts.
But the expert had little to work with, according to Chauke. His defense says the case file lacked a lab report, gun records, ammo details, spent shells, and bullets. Even witness accounts that could back up claims of a shot being fired were missing, the legal team argued.
And Chauke says the gaps go far beyond ballistics. He claims the state has failed to show clear proof tying him to a gun or the ammo linked to the case.
The dispute stems from an encounter on Witklip Street in Ladanna, Polokwane. Prosecutors allege that two men in a car spotted the musician and greeted him as fans. After asking if they were proud of him, he allegedly fired toward them.
One of those men, Petrus Ralefatana, suffered a severe jaw injury, according to the prosecution. The car sustained damage as well. Chauke denies the account and claims he was set up.
De Klerk also questioned how the shot could have hit the victim. Based on the headrest damage and wound location, he said the proposed bullet path made little sense unless the injured man had turned his head in an unlikely way.
Medical records raised another issue. The expert said they did not give him enough clinical proof to confirm gunshot injuries. Instead, they described puncture wounds and relied partly on an account supplied by the victim's friend.
Advocate Mutheiwana Sikhwari and the defense team have raised further concerns about how investigators dealt with evidence. They say the disclosed file lacked CCTV video that placed Chauke at the site. A lengthy affidavit also disputes the way police merged the charges.
It's a lot for one bail fight. Chauke faces 21 counts, with allegations ranging from attempted murder and serious assault to property damage and illegal gun and ammo possession.
Prosecutors want him kept in jail, citing the gravity of the claims and the expanded charge sheet. Chauke, meanwhile, says some counts had been dropped before being brought back, a point his lawyers want treated as fresh grounds for bail.
Earlier bids for release failed, and he has remained locked up since his arrest. The court is still hearing his fresh application, with no final decision on bail reported in the supplied account.
