POLOKWANE: Lekompo musician Lehlogonolo “Shebeshxt” Chauke will have to wait until Wednesday, 11 November, to continue his latest attempt to secure bail after the State prosecutor reportedly fell ill.
Chauke, best known for his hit Rato Laka, made a brief appearance before Magistrate Godfrey Netshiozwi at the Polokwane Magistrate’s Court on Monday.
State prosecutor Advocate Kgaugelo Lekoloane was absent, prompting defence advocate Mutheiwana Sikhwari to inform the court that both parties had agreed to postpone proceedings until Wednesday, Daily Sun reported.
The postponement means Chauke, who has been in custody since November 2025, will remain behind bars as he approaches a year in detention without a trial verdict.
Defence plans to challenge State’s evidence
The hearing had initially been expected to continue until 12 November, with Chauke’s legal team preparing to call a forensic ballistics expert.
The defence believes the expert’s testimony could challenge key aspects of the State’s case and strengthen its argument for the musician’s release.
Chauke has denied involvement in the alleged shooting in Ladanna, Polokwane, and maintains that he was framed.
Multiple unsuccessful bail attempts
Monday’s appearance marks the latest development in a lengthy legal battle to secure his release.
Chauke has previously been denied bail twice in the Magistrate’s Court and lost two appeals in the Limpopo High Court, The Citizen reported.
His current application is based on what his defence team describes as new facts.
However, Magistrate Netshiozwi dismissed an earlier application in April, finding that the circumstances presented by the defence did not constitute new facts.
“All the circumstances were available during the initial bail application and may not be construed as new facts,” the magistrate said, TimesLIVE reported.
“The applicant himself set the law in motion by allegedly committing the offences referred to in the charge sheet,” he added.
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Following that ruling, the matter was transferred to the Polokwane Regional Court for trial.
Chauke faces 21 charges
The musician is facing 21 charges, including four counts of attempted murder, robbery with aggravating circumstances, unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition, assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, common assault, reckless and negligent driving, malicious damage to property and culpable homicide.
The attempted murder charges arise from an alleged shooting in Ladanna in October 2025, during which a man was wounded. Chauke was arrested the following month.
The culpable homicide charge relates to a separate incident on 8 June 2024, when a car crash claimed the life of his nine-year-old daughter.
State opposes bail
The State is opposing Chauke’s release, arguing that he could commit further offences if granted bail and that his defence has failed to demonstrate the exceptional circumstances required to justify his release.
The matter is expected to resume on Wednesday, when the court will continue considering his latest bail application.
