'Acted in common purpose': Ex-Clover workers found guilty for murder of security officers

The Johannesburg high court has convicted former Clover employees Mohale Shokane and Vusumuzi Duumba of the murder of security officers Terence Tegg and JJ Cassanga.

Sentencing proceedings will begin on Wednesday, according to AfriForum’s private prosecution unit, which helped gather evidence in the case as representatives of Tegg’s fiancée Michelle Bebbington and the Cassanga family.

On February 17 2022, striking Clover employees attacked several guards outside the dairy producer’s facility in Olifantsfontein.

Distressing video footage showed how the mob ambushed and overwhelmed Tegg, who worked for a security company contracted during the strike. He was punched and kicked to the floor before rocks and others items were used to smash his head. The attackers then robbed Tegg of his wallet, shotgun and ammunition.

Cassanga was chased and overwhelmed and his head smashed and beaten with his own shotgun. While Tegg died on the day, Cassanga died in June that year as a result of complications from the injuries he sustained.

The court found the accused were part of the group that acted in common purpose when it attacked the security officers and their intention was to murder Tegg and Cassanga. 

Barry Bateman, spokesperson for the AfriForum unit, said the conviction demonstrated how close work between the state and the unit can ensure justice for victims of crime. A detective ensured critical evidence was gathered and analysed, the unit commissioned a video expert, and helped assess the surveillance footage and video recorded on cellphones.

Using clothing and other identifying markers, an expert tracked each individual’s movement on the day and how they were involved in the murders, he said.

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