MBONISWENI – Four accused arrested in connection with the murder of an initiate
during the 2009 initiation school period in Mbonisweni appeared in the Nelspruit Regional court on Wednesday.
The accused, Mr Michael Bulunga, Boetboet Mkhabela, Silo Malope and Ms Gertrude Maphanga-Tsabedze face charges of kidnapping, murder and attempted murder.
Two other accused in the matter, Mr Foster Masinga and December Makhubela are still at large and issued of warrants of arrest were issued against them.
The arrest of the suspects followed the incidence of November 9, 2009 whereby the accused allegedly abducted boys to the initiation school and two of them escaped apparently because they were forced to join the initiates.
The charge sheet states that: “They escaped because they never wanted to go
there, but were abducted by others to attend,”.
The accused apparently searched for the boys, hold them and assaulted them. One of the victims died due to his injuries.
The accused are out on bail and the matter was postponed to Dec 6.