The four suspected murderers of Mozambican national, Emmanuel Sithole, who was stoned and stabbed to death in Alexandra, have been charged with his murder.
The accused, Mthinto Bhengu, Sizwe Mngomezulu, Ayanda Sibiya and Sifundi Mzimela appeared in the Alexandra Magistrates’ Court where they were also charged with robbery. They were not asked to plead. Their case has been remanded to 4 May for a bail hearing.
The director of Public Prosecutions Mxolisi Nxasana told the court the State intends to oppose bail for the suspects. “We have a solid case and irrefutable evidence which heavily weighs against the accused.”
Nxasana said this was a high-profile case which has attracted the attention of both local and international media and as a result, his office has attached senior investigators and advocates to ensure the case holds in court for the sake of the image of the country.
He said the Justice Cluster Departments were collaborating to ensure justice prevails in this case. He appealed to all local organisations and residents to co-operate with the on-going investigations.
Present in a packed courtroom were the Premier of Gauteng, David Makhura and his MEC for Community Safety, Sizakele Nkosi-Malobane. Makhura told media after court proceedings that he supported the statement made by Nxasana.
“Under no circumstances should anyone be allowed to take the property of anybody, or their life for that matter, regardless of whether they are foreign or not,” Makhura said, calling for public education on the importance of inter-relations with foreigners.
“We would like to hold public dialogue on the matter at street level, starting in Alexandra, to ensure people get to know each other and also protect each other,” Makhura said.
