This now-defunct eatery hosted the final meeting between Siemens and accused number one in the trial, Stanley Bakili, mere minutes before the then City Med Managing Director was shot and killed in the Preller Square Shopping Complex’s underground parking area on 10 May 2018. The restaurant was located at Preller Square and it is pertinent to note that the basement’s entrance could be viewed from its deck. Ohuliseng Selemela was the waiter that served Siemens and Bakili that day.

During the trial’s second week, Selemela not only provided testimony on what he saw during that final meeting between the estranged business partners, but he also placed accused number four, Mojalefa ‘Jali’ Molusi, at Preller, more specifically at the outside parking area and also in the eatery where he allegedly casually asked for “something to drink”, but ended up not buying anything. The waiter further testified that he saw Molusi and confessed assassin, Xolisile ‘Botha’ Mbebetho exit a white Volkswagen Polo with CA registration numbers on the day of the crime with one dressed in construction clothing, formally known as personal protective equipment (PPE), and a hard hat while the other was dressed in a hooded sweater top.

On Monday 11 November 2019, Molusi’s legal counsel, Dawie Reyneke, painstakingly made Selemela re-account some of the details made in his written testimony which was taken on 3 October 2018 by detective Buyisile Jona, less than five months after the crime occurred. Reyneke pointed out the contradictions between that statement and Selemela’s testimony in court during trial.

The waiter was questioned on his memory of the exact location of the above-mentioned white VW Polo. This vehicle is alleged to have been hired out by accused number three in the matter, Bloemfontein Magistrate's Court orderly, Kagiso Chabane. Reyneke further questioned the waiter on his memory of what the men looked like, which resulted in Selemela fumbling, showing lapses in his memory of whether or not Molusi had a beard or both he and Mbebetho did.

As proceedings adjourned on Monday, Judge Pitso Molitsoane asked Reyneke how long he would continue to cross-examine the witness on Tuesday, to which he answered “between 30 and 45 mins”.

In total ten men have been arrested in connection with the murder, eight of whom are presently standing trial: Bakili, Mogoera Molebatsi, Kagiso Chabane, Mojalefa Jali Molusi, Moeketsi Lesia, Karabo Tau, Sizwe Mpati and Clive Tshivenga. They include three police officers, a disbarred advocate, an accused in separate double murder cases and a member of the Defence Force’s elite reconnaissance unit.

It is alleged Siemens was paying bribes to government officials through Bakili to have City Med’s hospital bed licence amended to allow for more beds, when their partnership soured. Some of these implicated officials include current Free State Health Department Head, David Motau, his former boss, Benny Malakoane, and Minister of Home Affairs, Aaron Motsoaledi.

OFM News