The resident magistrate also indicated that he could not continue with the case due to his busy schedule.
“The magistrate felt it would be unfair to continue as he is busy,” said Tyali. “The prosecutor, on the other hand, asked to be recused as he feared for his own safety after hearing an angry crowd of people chanting outside the courtroom.”
The Dispatch understands that the crowd was there to support the 13 accused.
“The case has been postponed to October 8 to allow time to find a magistrate and a prosecutor from outside.”
Eastern Cape House of Traditional Leaders (ECHTL) chair Nkosi Mwelo Nonkonyana revealed that Mjanyelwa had been accorded a dignified funeral in Dindini village on Saturday.
He said this was after ECHTL, working together with the police and municipal authorities in Mbizana, met with the victim’s family, who had resorted to asking other villages to allow them to bury Mjanyelwa.
“We managed to convince them that a respected chief cannot just be buried anywhere. He has to be buried with dignity.”
Nonkonyana went as far as warning that traditional leaders would not tolerate mob violence any longer.
“We are not going to allow criminals to trample on the freedom we fought for.”
New twist to murder of EC headman
Magistrate says his schedule is ‘too busy’ for the case
Image: File
A state prosecutor in the case of 13 people arrested for allegedly killing a village headman in Mbizana last month has recused himself for fear of his own safety.
The Daily Dispatch reported earlier on how 53-year-old Thulani Mjanyelwa, a village headman in Dindini village under the Imizizi Traditional Council in Mbizana, was attacked in his home on August 26 in what was believed to be a revenge killing.
His body was dragged outside and set alight, along with some of his furniture.
More recently, angry villagers refused to have Mjanyelwa’s body buried in the village.
However, institutions of traditional leadership stepped in and said the slain headman would have to be buried in the village he had led for decades.
National Prosecuting Authority regional spokesperson Luxolo Tyali confirmed that the 13 arrested in connection with Mjanyelwa’s murder had appeared in the Mbizana magistrate’s court this week where they were formally applying for bail.
But the case had to be postponed after the state prosecutor recused himself.
The resident magistrate also indicated that he could not continue with the case due to his busy schedule.
“The magistrate felt it would be unfair to continue as he is busy,” said Tyali. “The prosecutor, on the other hand, asked to be recused as he feared for his own safety after hearing an angry crowd of people chanting outside the courtroom.”
The Dispatch understands that the crowd was there to support the 13 accused.
“The case has been postponed to October 8 to allow time to find a magistrate and a prosecutor from outside.”
Eastern Cape House of Traditional Leaders (ECHTL) chair Nkosi Mwelo Nonkonyana revealed that Mjanyelwa had been accorded a dignified funeral in Dindini village on Saturday.
He said this was after ECHTL, working together with the police and municipal authorities in Mbizana, met with the victim’s family, who had resorted to asking other villages to allow them to bury Mjanyelwa.
“We managed to convince them that a respected chief cannot just be buried anywhere. He has to be buried with dignity.”
Nonkonyana went as far as warning that traditional leaders would not tolerate mob violence any longer.
“We are not going to allow criminals to trample on the freedom we fought for.”
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