The trial of Tsholofelo Joseph Motsoane, the man accused of the murder of lawyer and former MP Schalk Pienaar, has been scheduled to take place from 22 to 26 July in the Polokwane High Court.
Motsoane was denied bail by the Mokopane Magistrate’s Court on Friday because he was a “career criminal” who was likely to flee. He is facing charges of murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and firearm-related charges, and is alleged to have been the driver of the getaway car.
In the bail judgment, Magistrate JJ Venter referred to Motsoane’s extensive criminal history dating back to 2003, including convictions for attempted murder, robbery, and theft.
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He also noted that Motsoane had previously escaped from custody while awaiting trial. Venter found that Motsoane had failed to convince the court that exceptional circumstances warranted his release on bail.
Following the judgment, Pienaar’s widow, Fransie, expressed relief that Motsoane had been denied bail. She spoke of the difficulty of having to sit through the proceedings and relive the night her husband was murdered.
She also expressed frustration that a man described by the magistrate as a “career criminal” had been free to continue committing crimes. Fransie stated that they would now focus on the trial that is scheduled to take place later this year and expressed gratitude for the support they have received from AfriForum.
AfriForum’s Private Prosecution Unit is representing the Pienaar family, who sought their support due to delays in finalizing the case. Barry Bateman, spokesperson for the unit, welcomed the outcome of the bail hearing.
He stated that the magistrate had taken into account all the evidence related to Motsoane’s criminal history and had determined that the state had a reasonably strong case.
Schalk Pienaar was murdered on 19 September 2022, shortly after arriving home in Limpopo. He was shot 10 times in his driveway. Pienaar had been a lawyer for almost 40 years and had previously served as an MP for the former Conservative Party.
Motsoane was arrested the following month and charged with the crime. A second accused was also arrested but charges against him were later withdrawn.
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