The accused in the deadly Klerksdorp parking lot brawl has been officially charged with murder.
Wernich Botha appeared in the Klerksdorp Magistrate's Court on Thursday where the matter was remanded to January 15, 2024.
Botha is accused of the murder of Hilton Pretorius, who was allegedly beaten to a pulp in a parking lot on September 2. Pretorius spent over two weeks in the intensive care unit (ICU) at Tshepong Hospital and succumbed to his injuries.
Botha also reportedly assaulted PW Roos. He is facing the attempted murder of Pretorius and the assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm to Roos.
Footage of the incident went viral on social media platforms, leading to Botha's arrest.
According to News24, Botha was not honest about his initial statements in his bail application where he claimed that he did not have a passport or travel documents.
However, it was revealed that days after the assault, he travelled out of the country. To this end, Advocate Gerrie Nel, who is acting on behalf of the Pretorius family, said Botha had perjured himself and this needed to be investigated.
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