Eskom technician David Ngwenya, who is the main suspect in the Thembisile Lucia Yende (30) case, was denied bail by the Springs Magistrate’s Court on Thursday.
After a week of hearing the bail application, Magistrate Cornel Pretorious said David did not prove there were exceptional circumstances to warrant his release on bail.
The 44-year-old was arrested on May 15 in Carletonville after he was identified during an identity parade by one of the state witnesses.
David has been charged with Yende’s premeditated murder and the police are still searching for two more suspects who are linked to the case.
Thembisile’s body was found 13 days after she was reported missing by her family.
Her decomposing body was discovered in her work storeroom at the Pieterboth Eskom sub-station in Springs after her colleagues picked up a bad smell coming from the room.
Preliminary post-mortem results revealed she had sustained head injuries and died of suffocation.
During the bail hearing the court, which was full to capacity, heard a key witness in the case reveal to the investigating police officer, Lt Col Christo Lotz, that Thembisile was going to report David to Eskom management in connection with copper dealings.
Lotz explained the key witness also feared for his and his family’s safety and was forced to flee his home twice to Soweto after receiving threatening calls.
The court also heard that Thembisile was romantically involved with David for more than a year and he regularly visited her at the Pieterboth sub-station.
The case has been postponed for further investigation until July 17.
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