Popular Limpopo musician Katlego Lehlogonolo Chauke, widely known as Shebe Maburna or Shebeshxt, is continuing his battle for freedom after approaching the Polokwane High Court to challenge the refusal of his latest bail application.
On Wednesday, 27 May 2026, Shebeshxt’s legal representative, Michael Khumalo, appeared before the High Court arguing that the earlier decision by the Polokwane Magistrates Court was unfair and failed to properly consider new evidence presented by the defence.
The musician’s previous bail application was dismissed on 30 April by Magistrate Godfrey Netshiozwi, who ruled that no new facts had been brought before the court to justify granting bail.
During the appeal proceedings, Khumalo argued that the magistrate incorrectly handled the matter and failed to consider several important issues raised by the defence. One of the key arguments focused on Shebeshxt’s alleged urgent medical condition linked to an injured leg that reportedly requires treatment.
Khumalo also questioned whether Netshiozwi should have presided over the case at all, claiming that the magistrate had previously signed the warrant for Shebeshxt’s arrest. According to the defence, this created concerns about impartiality during the bail proceedings.
The lawyer further accused the magistrate of allowing personal feelings to influence the decision to deny bail. Khumalo pleaded with the High Court to grant the artist what he described as a “final chance,” assuring the court that Shebeshxt would comply with the law if released.
Addressing the court, Khumalo argued that the magistrate prematurely ended the inquiry after concluding that there were no new facts before the court.
“What we are saying is that the finding on the part of the learned magistrate that there are no new facts ended the inquiry,” Khumalo submitted during proceedings.
Presiding judge Naude Odendaal questioned whether the matters raised by the defence had already been addressed in earlier bail hearings, pointing out that witnesses had testified and evidence had already been considered before the magistrate.
The court also raised concerns about whether the issue of exceptional circumstances had already been fully examined during previous proceedings.
In response, Khumalo maintained that in bail applications based on new facts, the court must first determine whether new facts truly exist before moving on to assess whether exceptional circumstances justify release in the interests of justice.
He insisted that the magistrate incorrectly stopped the process before fully examining the defence’s submissions.
After hearing the arguments, the High Court postponed the matter to 12 June 2026. State Advocate Phaladi Mphahlele is expected to file supplementary heads of argument before the matter resumes.
Shebeshxt is currently facing 20 criminal charges, including three counts of attempted murder, illegal possession of a firearm, negligent discharge of a firearm, and assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm (GBH), among other offences.
This marks the musician’s second bail appeal before the High Court and his fourth attempt overall to secure release from custody.
The matter has already been transferred to the Polokwane Regional Court, where it is awaiting a trial date.
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