POLOKWANE: Lekompo musician Lehlogonolo Katlego “Shebeshxt” Chauke will remain in custody after the Polokwane Magistrate’s Court postponed his bail proceedings to November 23, following the completion of his defence team’s re-examination on Thursday.
The matter is expected to continue on November 23, 25, 26 and 27.
The postponement comes exactly one year after Chauke was arrested on November 12, 2025. He has remained in custody since then while contesting the charges against him and pursuing his latest application for bail.
The case has attracted considerable public attention because of Chauke’s profile in the Lekompo music scene. However, the proceedings now centre on a serious set of criminal allegations and a legal dispute over the strength of the evidence the State intends to rely on.
Twenty-one charges and an ongoing bail battle
Chauke faces 21 charges, including four counts of attempted murder. The charges also include allegations relating to assault, robbery with aggravating circumstances, unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition, reckless and negligent driving, and culpable homicide.
The charges arise from several incidents and court matters that have been brought together in the proceedings. One of the central allegations concerns a shooting in Ladanna, Polokwane, on October 19, 2025, in which a motorist was reportedly wounded.
Chauke has denied the allegations against him and maintains that the State does not have sufficient evidence to link him to the alleged shooting.
His current bail application is based on what his legal team describes as new facts. In bail proceedings, an accused person who has previously been refused release must place new information before the court and explain why it should reconsider the earlier decision. The court must assess that information alongside the nature of the charges and the risks associated with releasing the accused.
The application is not a trial, and the court is not being asked at this stage to decide whether Chauke is guilty or innocent.
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Defence questions missing ballistic reports
Senior defence counsel Advocate Mutheiwana Sikhwari SC has focused much of his argument on the State’s failure, according to the defence, to produce ballistic reports relating to several alleged shooting incidents.
These include the October 19, 2025, incident in Ladanna, as well as other alleged shooting incidents in Lebowakgomo and Seshego.
Sikhwari questioned why the lead investigating officer had been unable to provide the court with the relevant ballistic reports. The defence argues that the absence of such evidence raises questions about the investigation and the basis on which the State is opposing bail.
The defence also called forensic and ballistic expert Dr Christo de Klerk to assess the evidence relating to the Ladanna incident.
During earlier testimony, De Klerk said the material supplied to him did not contain a forensic ballistic report or sufficient documentation of physical evidence that could establish whether a firearm had been discharged. He also raised concerns about the photographs and documentation of the vehicle allegedly involved.
The expert questioned whether the medical documentation conclusively established that the complainant had sustained gunshot wounds, pointing to the description of the injuries as puncture wounds.
These are the expert’s observations based on the material made available to him. They are not findings by the court.
State challenges expert’s conclusions
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The State, through prosecutor Advocate Kgaugelo Lekoloane, challenged De Klerk’s evidence during cross-examination.
The prosecutor questioned the basis of the expert’s conclusions, including the limited material he had been given. De Klerk acknowledged that he had not visited the scene, had not been asked to reconstruct the incident and did not have access to the complainant’s medical records or X-rays.
The State also questioned whether the defence had provided him with all the relevant information needed to reach an independent assessment.
This dispute is important because the court must consider not only the defence expert’s conclusions but also the limitations of the material on which those conclusions were based and the State’s response.
The absence of a report in the material provided to an expert does not, by itself, establish that no investigation or forensic examination took place. The court will have to assess the evidence and the explanations presented by both sides.
Main trial scheduled for May 2027
While the bail application continues, Chauke’s main criminal trial has been scheduled for May 17 to 21, 2027, in the Polokwane Regional Court.
The National Prosecuting Authority has indicated that the State intends to call 22 witnesses during the trial. The defence has yet to indicate how many witnesses it plans to call.
The trial will provide the forum for the State to present its evidence and for the defence to challenge the allegations. Until then, the bail proceedings will determine whether Chauke can be released from custody while awaiting trial.
For now, he remains detained, one year after his arrest, with the next stage of his bail application scheduled to begin on November 23.
