Jessica and Johanco: Two suspects back in court on August 27

Malusi Gift Shima (23) and Ishmael Hlabathi (34), the suspects in the murders of Petit couple Johanco Fleischman (19) and Jessica Kuhn (21), appeared in the Benoni Regional Court on August 20 for a bail application.

The matter was postponed to August 27 and the two were remanded in custody. Both are charged with double murder and robbery with aggravating circumstances.

They were arrested on June 19, in the N12 informal settlement, after police followed up on information from a witness to the crime.

Fleischman and Kuhn were gunned down on the N12 Putfontein bridge on May 26, last year, while waiting for assistance after their bakkie ran out of fuel.

A group of friends, family members and Benoni residents gathered outside the court to support the parents of the young couple.

The group was holding placards with the couple’s photos and messages, and chanting “all lives matter” and “no bail for murderers”.

Vaughn Grobler and Dirk Eloff, who organised the group of supporters, said they wanted to show the parents of Johanco and Jessica that they are not alone.

Grobler said they also wanted to create awareness that all lives matter, no matter your skin colour, and that justice should be served and murderers should not get bail.

“The support we have received after creating the Facebook page “Double Murder Benoni” has been amazing. It shows that the people of Benoni can stand together,” he said.

He also added that there have been too many murders at the Putfontein off-ramp and some of them have not even been reported on by the media. The couple’s parents, who were holding each other’s hands while tears ran down their faces during the court proceedings, said they hope justice will be served for their children.

The day of the shooting

Fleischman and Kuhn, along with two other passengers, identified as workers, were en-route to Benoni from a pig farm in Kendal when the vehicle they were travelling in ran out of fuel.

The victims took the Putfontein bridge off-ramp to park the vehicle and requested help from an acquaintance over the phone.

While they were awaiting assistance, suspects, who it is believed were watching the victims, approached the vehicle and apparently called Fleischman a mlungu (white person) just before they opened fire.

Kuhn was shot fatally in the upper body and Fleischman was shot in the head and upper body.

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