Prosecutor accuses Shebeshxt of lying during Polokwane bail hearing

Prosecutor Advocate Kgaugelo Lekoloane accused South African musician Lehlogonolo "Shebeshxt" Chauke of lying and failing to answer questions during a cross-examination at the Polokwane Magistrate’s Court on Monday. The 28-year-old musician is seeking bail on new charges, his third attempt since his arrest in November 2025. He denies misleading the court and claims some confusion was due to a misunderstanding.

Chauke faces 21 charges, including attempted murder, assault, and malicious damage to property; these allegations stem from an incident in Ladanna, Polokwane, where a fan was injured. The High Court rejected his prior bail applications, and his trial is set to begin in May 2027, with the bail hearing ongoing until Thursday. Chauke alleged that investigating officer Captain Phaladi Makola was related to the complainant, Ralefatana, and accused the officer of framing him.

According to Chauke, Makola informed him of their relationship on July 10, 2026, and Chauke had no alternative but to include this in his affidavit. The prosecutor maintained that Makola would deny any relationship when cross-examined. Chauke also claimed that a man named Kwenisto corroborated his story, but the prosecutor suggested Kwenisto had been threatened by Makola and refused to provide a confirmation affidavit.

The prosecutor questioned Chauke about Makola's decision to open a case against him, to which Chauke insisted he was not the officer who opened the case. The cross-examination then delved into Lehlohonolo Ntari Molapo, a friend Chauke named for the first time since his arrest. Molapo was the last person with Chauke prior to his arrest.

The prosecutor pressed Chauke on why he had not mentioned this earlier, but Chauke claimed he only learned about Molapo in July and that his arrest was uneventful; therefore, he deemed Molapo's involvement irrelevant. The prosecutor argued that Chauke concealed Molapo's identity from the outset. The hearing later shifted to disputes over a docket and the identity of a passenger in Chauke's vehicle.