Family of man killed by seven cops live in fear, as accused released on bail

The family of Kwenzokwakhe Shabalala, 23, who was allegedly killed by the Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department (EMPD) officers, says their release on bail has put their lives in danger.

Laurens Daniel Venter, 49; Nkululeko Walter Mtetwa, 36; Daniel Eric van Wyk, 39; Gideon Johannes Myburg, 60; Justin Sibusiso Ncube, 50; Thamodhran Pillay, 50; and Eugene Phillip Raubenheimer, 62, appeared yesterday in the Tsakane Magistrate’s Court for a remand to the regional court.

Bail and charges

They are on R3 000 bail each and face charges of murder, attempted murder, assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and defeating the ends of justice.

Victim’s family account

Zenzele Mgaga, who was with Shabalala on 8 September at Langaville Extension 6, was injured.

Shabalala’s brother, Mmiseni Shezi, told The Citizen his family was in pain after the court granted the metro cops bail last week.

He said the fact that the metro cops were granted bail shows the justice system was not playing its part in curbing criminality.

He felt his life was in danger. “You never know what they are thinking as they are outside; maybe they would want to kill us to erase the evidence.

“If it was just a citizen who did what they did, they would still be in prison. I want them to be sentenced and spend time in prison. The community is also angry about what happened,” he said.

Shezi said his brother’s dream was to become a lawyer and he had only been in Gauteng from KwaZulu-Natal for three weeks when he was murdered.

Broken dreams

“His dream was to become a lawyer; he came here to look for a job because financially we could not afford to take him to school.

“He did not even know this area well, hence we asked the police who killed him where they hid him because we knew he did not know the area, but the police left him behind the shack,” he said.

On the day Shabalala was killed, the police claimed they were following up on information about people in possession of drugs and dangerous weapons – allegations Shezi dismissed.

“The police just entered the house and ordered everyone to lay down, these two ran out and my cousin was shot two times in the leg. Kwenzokwakhe’s ribs were broken and we found marks on him [showing he was] strangled with a wire when we were washing his body at the mortuary.

“My mother is wheelchair-bound and she cannot move and she cannot come to court. Her heart is painful because she cannot see those who killed her child,” said Shezi.

Accused supported by colleagues

Magistrate Ron Mncwabe reprimanded the EMPD officers who entered his court wearing police caps. The officers were in court to support their colleagues accused of killing Shabalala.

Mncwabe warned the 0fficers to respect the court. “You must remove your hats before entering this court. There must be decorum in court. I can’t come to court and sit on the bench wearing a cap,” he said.

After their appearance, the officers got a police vehicle and were escorted by their colleagues. This was after residents threatened to attack them. The residents had brought down the court’s main gate and damaged the door leading to the court building.

ALSO READ: Four killed in shootout with police in KZN 

– lungam@citizen.co.za