An inquest into the 2009 assassination of former Alexandria mayor Thembile Bethe is ready to begin in the Alexandria Magistrate’s Court.
This is after current Ndlambe (Port Alfred and Alexandria) municipal manager and advocate Rollie Dumezweni and former municipal employee Phathekile Fina were informed by the inquest magistrate L P Muller on May 23 to get ready to appear as witnesses.
The National Prosecuting Authority spokesman Tsepo Ndwalaza said the matter was postponed to Friday.
“No one is arrested or is an accused. This is an inquest as an inquest docket was opened.
“The date of next appearance is a provisional date for legal representatives of both Dumezweni and Fina. And also attendence of Mabhutsana and family member/s.”
Ndwalaza said the state had initially three witnesses in the inquest but a third witness, only known as Mr M Mabhutsana, could not be found.
It is not clear whether Mabhutsane would be charged with contempt as he failed to appear in the last appearance.
“The Hawks investigating officer had to subpoena Mr M Mabhutsana who didn’t appear on last appearance as he changed his known address to an unknown address.”
The investigating officer had to secure attendance of family members for Friday’s hearing.
Bethe died in front of his home on Saturday December 12 when hit by a hail of bullets fired by unknown suspects.
He had apparently been followed home by a white vehicle.
Bethe was a proportional representative (PR) councillor for the ANC in the Ndlambe municipal council at the time of his killing.
Bethe family spokesman, Thandisizwe Kimberly, said the family had been in the dark for eight years not knowing if justice would ever be served for their slain family member.
He said they were not aware of the legal process, and it surprised them that the two former officials were required to appear in court so long after the murder, and that the family had not been kept info
“On numerous occasions I have communicated with the provincial police commissioner (Major-General Liziwe Ntshinga) asking her to tell us about the case. The commissioner’s responded to my e-mail sometime last year, only saying the case was transferred to the Hawks in East London.”—
Inquest opens 8 years later into killing of mayor
This is after current Ndlambe (Port Alfred and Alexandria) municipal manager and advocate Rollie Dumezweni and former municipal employee Phathekile Fina were informed by the inquest magistrate L P Muller on May 23 to get ready to appear as witnesses.
The National Prosecuting Authority spokesman Tsepo Ndwalaza said the matter was postponed to Friday.
“No one is arrested or is an accused. This is an inquest as an inquest docket was opened.
“The date of next appearance is a provisional date for legal representatives of both Dumezweni and Fina. And also attendence of Mabhutsana and family member/s.”
Ndwalaza said the state had initially three witnesses in the inquest but a third witness, only known as Mr M Mabhutsana, could not be found.
It is not clear whether Mabhutsane would be charged with contempt as he failed to appear in the last appearance.
“The Hawks investigating officer had to subpoena Mr M Mabhutsana who didn’t appear on last appearance as he changed his known address to an unknown address.”
The investigating officer had to secure attendance of family members for Friday’s hearing.
Bethe died in front of his home on Saturday December 12 when hit by a hail of bullets fired by unknown suspects.
He had apparently been followed home by a white vehicle.
Bethe was a proportional representative (PR) councillor for the ANC in the Ndlambe municipal council at the time of his killing.
Bethe family spokesman, Thandisizwe Kimberly, said the family had been in the dark for eight years not knowing if justice would ever be served for their slain family member.
He said they were not aware of the legal process, and it surprised them that the two former officials were required to appear in court so long after the murder, and that the family had not been kept info
“On numerous occasions I have communicated with the provincial police commissioner (Major-General Liziwe Ntshinga) asking her to tell us about the case. The commissioner’s responded to my e-mail sometime last year, only saying the case was transferred to the Hawks in East London.”—
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