Bail of R4,000 was granted on Monday, 30 June, to 42-year-old James "Jimmy" Henry Venter in the Louis Trichardt Magistrate's Court after 10 days in custody.
Venter stands accused of seven counts of attempted murder, following a shooting incident on the N1 south, just outside Louis Trichardt, on the evening of Friday, 20 June.
It is alleged that Venter, an employee of the Musina-based private security company Kawia Rural Anti-Poaching, fired on a family from the Nzhelele-Biaba area after a chase on the N1. Venter and a colleague of his were returning home to Musina when the incident occurred at around 23:00.
A 28-year-old female passenger was shot and wounded during the ordeal. She was one of seven occupants, including four children between the ages of one and seven, in the vehicle that was struck. Venter was arrested shortly afterwards and placed in custody. The police also confiscated a Siga 7.62 rifle believed to have been used in the incident.
Venter made his first court appearance in the Louis Trichardt Magistrate's Court on Monday, 23 June, with his bail application postponed to Friday, 27 June. Due to a full court roll, his bail hearing on Friday was postponed further to Monday this week.
Ms Chegofatjo Mabanna from the office of the National Prosecuting Authority in Polokwane on Tuesday confirmed that Venter will be facing seven counts of attempted murder. After being granted bail, his case was postponed to 19 August this year for further investigation.
Last week, a spokesperson for Kawia Rural Anti-Poaching, Mr Ronnie van Niekerk, said the company would issue an official statement on the incident, following Venter's bail application. On Monday, however, Van Niekerk stated that the company would not be commenting at this stage.