Magistrate Aubrey Peggy Senne, who presided over the first court appearance of soccer star Thamsanqa Gabuza’s malicious damage to property case last year, has died.
Sunday World has learned that 60-year-old Senne died two weeks ago and was buried on Saturday in Rustenburg in the North West.
A memorial service was held for Senne on January 25 at the Altrec Sports Complex in Alexandra, northern Johannesburg. Senne died on January 19 after he fell ill in late November.
Presided over Gabuza’s first case
Senne was the presiding officer when former Bafana Bafana, Orlando Pirates, and SuperSport United striker Gabuza made his first court appearance at the Alexandra magistrate’s court on November 22 for malicious damage to property.
Senne granted Gabuza bail of R3 000 on the condition that he does not make any direct or indirect contact with the complainant and that he does not go to her place of residence.
Senne also ordered Gabuza to attend all court hearings and not commit a similar offence again; failure to do so will result in his arrest.
After Senne fell ill just a few days after he had presided over the Gabuza case, his colleague, magistrate Lindokuhle Lubisi, took over.
Distinguished career
Senne was born on August 18, 1963, in Naledi, Soweto. He did his primary schooling at Kgale Primary School in Phokeng, Rustenburg, in the North West.
He then went to Bafokeng High School in Phokeng and completed his matriculation at Kwenatlase High School near Rustenburg.
Senne went on to obtain a law degree at the then-University of Bophuthatswana, now known as the North-West University.
He started working at TEBA offices in Phokeng as an interpreter in then-Bophuthatswana, a homeland state.
He later joined the Department of Justice and served at the Bafokeng magistrate’s court as a prosecutor. Later, he joined the Randburg magistrate’s court as a magistrate.
Senne was working at the Alexandra magistrate’s court as a senior magistrate when he met his death.
Retirement
At the time of his death, Senne was on a pension that commenced on January 1, 2024.
He is survived by three sons, Ofentse, Paballo, and Kgosi, and one daughter, Malebo, and his brothers, Lewis and Shimmy.
Meanwhile, Lubisi issued a warrant of arrest for Gabuza on Monday after he failed to appear in court, ordering that his bail be revoked and forfeited to the state.
The case was postponed to February 15. The soccer star is out on R3,000 bail.
