A large crowd gathered outside the Lenasia Magistrate’s Court on Monday‚ ahead of the bail application of one of the two men implicated in the murder of seven family members in Vlakfontein‚ south of Johannesburg.
Scores of people‚ most dressed in ANC regalia and singing struggle songs‚ charged towards the doors of the court after being denied access.
Court officials tried to maintain order by controlling access‚ only allowing family‚ officials and the media inside.
Gauteng MEC for Community Safety Sizakele Nkosi-Malobane was expected to again join family of the victims for the court proceedings.
The suspect expected to apply for bail is Fita Khupe‚ 61. He and his co-accused‚ a Zimbabwean who is believed to have entered this country illegally‚ have been charged with murder after the victims were found buried in a shallow grave in their home.
Khupe is also a foreigner‚ but has been in the country legally since 1975.
His co-accused was arrested in Mpumalanga‚ near the Lebombo border post‚ where he was found in possession of bank cards belonging to two of the victims‚ said Captain Mavela Masondo. He also faces three counts of rape and‚ therefore‚ cannot be named until he has pleaded.
Khupe was arrested in Dobsonville.
Both men face seven charges of murder.
The death of the seven family members shocked the nation.
TimesLIVE reported that one of the murdered women‚ Nomfundo Khoza‚ had sent frantic WhatsApp messages to her family moments before she died‚ but when they phoned back‚ there was no answer.
“We could not understand her WhatsApp messages‚” said a relative‚ who did not want to be named. “It was something about her dying and being in danger. We called her and she did not pick up. That’s when we felt something was really wrong.”
Neighbours noticed a stench‚ which led police to the bodies of the three women and four children on Monday‚ October 29.
Vlakfontein murder suspect seeks bail‚ amid protest outside court
Image: File/ Nonkululeko Njilo
A large crowd gathered outside the Lenasia Magistrate’s Court on Monday‚ ahead of the bail application of one of the two men implicated in the murder of seven family members in Vlakfontein‚ south of Johannesburg.
Scores of people‚ most dressed in ANC regalia and singing struggle songs‚ charged towards the doors of the court after being denied access.
Court officials tried to maintain order by controlling access‚ only allowing family‚ officials and the media inside.
Gauteng MEC for Community Safety Sizakele Nkosi-Malobane was expected to again join family of the victims for the court proceedings.
The suspect expected to apply for bail is Fita Khupe‚ 61. He and his co-accused‚ a Zimbabwean who is believed to have entered this country illegally‚ have been charged with murder after the victims were found buried in a shallow grave in their home.
Khupe is also a foreigner‚ but has been in the country legally since 1975.
His co-accused was arrested in Mpumalanga‚ near the Lebombo border post‚ where he was found in possession of bank cards belonging to two of the victims‚ said Captain Mavela Masondo. He also faces three counts of rape and‚ therefore‚ cannot be named until he has pleaded.
Khupe was arrested in Dobsonville.
Both men face seven charges of murder.
The death of the seven family members shocked the nation.
TimesLIVE reported that one of the murdered women‚ Nomfundo Khoza‚ had sent frantic WhatsApp messages to her family moments before she died‚ but when they phoned back‚ there was no answer.
“We could not understand her WhatsApp messages‚” said a relative‚ who did not want to be named. “It was something about her dying and being in danger. We called her and she did not pick up. That’s when we felt something was really wrong.”
Neighbours noticed a stench‚ which led police to the bodies of the three women and four children on Monday‚ October 29.
The bail application for one of the two suspects implicated in the murder of seven family members in Vlakfontein was postponed on Monday November 12 2018 as the first accused, a 27-year-old Zimbabwean man who had initially refused to apply for bail, has changed his mind and now wants bail as well.
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