Bail bid by seven accused delayed

SEVEN men from Reeston township accused of kidnapping, assaulting and later killing two youths from their neighbourhood in March, will stay behind bars until next week before they hear whether they are granted bail or not.

Yesterday their bail application was postponed to next Wednesday after two of their fellow accused, who are also in police custody, failed to appear before bail court magistrate Joel Cesar.

The state yesterday said it was not aware why the two were not in court, before pleading with Cesar to postpone the bail hearing to May 9.

Five of the accused men, Lungisa Kula, 34, Luvo Mpongwana, 33, Sakhumzi Jiya, 41, Khayalethu Mngcongco, 31, and Thanduxolo Mbebe, 37, made a brief five-minute appearance in court today, while Thozamile Tafane, 45, and Thobela Robeni, 38, were nowhere in sight.

The seven men made their first court appearance on April 24, just two days after they were arrested for the kidnapping and murder of 18-year-old Lihle Sokutu and his 20-year-old friend, Londoloza Ntlombeni. They have been charged with two counts of murder, two of kidnapping, two of assault and one of defeating the ends of justice by discarding the two bodies over a cliff near Butterworth.