Motorists advised to avoid Golden Highway following Vlakfontein protest action
Residents are reportedly voicing their anger with the court's recent decision to drop all charges against the man accused of murdering a family.
Vlakfontien community members have barricaded Golden Highway with burning tyres & rocks in protest against court decision in Vlakfontein murder case | Image: Twitter @@AsktheChiefJMPD
Johannesburg motorists have been advised to avoid the Golden Highway after community members barricaded the roadway with burning tyres and rocks as part of their protest action.
The Johannesburg Metro Police Department’s chief of police, David Tembe, tweeted the advisory and suggested the K43 route as an alternative.
Officers are allegedly on the scene to deal with crowds from Vlakfontein in the south of Joburg who are reportedly voicing their anger with the court’s recent decision to drop “all the charges against a suspect who allegedly ordered the murder [of] seven members of one family last year.”
It's reported that the community of Vlakfontein is disagreeing with the decision of the court for dropping all the charges against a suspect who allegedly ordered the murder 7 members of one family last year.
— AskTheChief01 #BuyaMthetho 🔥 (@David_S_Tembe) June 7, 2019
Vlakfontein Community up in arms over the NPA's decision to withdraw charges against co-accused Fifa Kuphe. Kuphe is linked to the 7 killings that happened in Vlakfontein October 2018. #VlakfonteinMurders #Vlakfontein @Newzroom405 pic.twitter.com/oqxWgqcBAL
— uMaBhayi (@Sipha_Kema) June 7, 2019
According to EWN, the National Prosecuting Authority said the state found no reasonable prospects to prosecute 61-year-old Fita Khupe, adding a lack of DNA evidence added to this decision.
Khupe and Ernest Mabaso, 27, were arrested and not granted bail over December after police sergeant Banele Ndlovu told the two men’s bail hearing it would be a danger to society if they would be granted bail.
This came after residents complaining of a stench revealed the bodies of three adults and four children found buried under a pile of sand in October 2018.
Mabaso committed suicide in his police cell in January, prompting Khupe to try and get the case against him dismissed, citing that the person implicating him in the crimes was dead.
Mabaso had claimed the killings were a revenge attack on the Khoza family by Khupe.
READ NEXT: Charges against man accused of murdering Vlakfontein family dropped
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