The Sebokeng Magistrate’s Court postponed the bail hearing application for five suspects charged with murder and abduction on Tuesday.
The marathon bail application that has drawn the interests of the community of Evaton was heard in a packed court gallery, where five security officers of Calvin and Family Security Services (CFSS) were appearing.
A sixth suspect, a guard from CFSS, joined the five accused.
Thabang Hlatshwayo, who was already on bail, joined his colleagues, Thabang Mhlongo, Prince Ndabeni, Victor Sibeko, Grateful Makhubela, and Sylvester Mathe.
Hlatshwayo opened the case at Sebokeng police station after being hijacked and kidnapped in February in Evaton while driving his employer’s CFSS vehicle.
However, allegations of assault and kidnapping of two local Evaton residents, Thulani Zondo and Dennis Mashaba, later led to his arrest.
The arrest of the five suspects who were requesting bail on Tuesday in connection with the alleged kidnapping and murder of Zondo and Mashaba was recently reported by Sunday World.
Kidnapping and murder orchestrated
However, their boss, Calvin Mathibeli, claimed that his rival in the private security industry had orchestrated the entire kidnapping and murder case to damage his company’s reputation and ultimately result in the government terminating his contracts.
Joe Strauss, the attorney for five suspects, contended that the court ought to take into account the fact that the state had no justification for rejecting his clients because of the affidavit of Lehlogonolo Nhlapo, one of the complainants, who claimed that 15 white men had beaten and abducted Mashaba.
“The complainant claimed that Mr Mashaba was beaten up and kidnapped by 15 white males, but here we are. All my five clients who were arrested for these allegations of kidnapping and murder are black.
“Where are those 15 white males whom the complainant referred to? I want to state that my clients have a right to be released on bail so that they can go and provide for their families,” said Strauss.
Business turf war
Police arrested five suspects last week on charges of kidnapping and murder, excluding Hlatshwayo.
“Up to this day there is no direct evidence linking my clients to the allegations, and the SAPS [SA Police Service] has no case against my clients, as the police are fishing here.
“The accused invited the state in their affidavits to show how they are being linked to this case. The state failed to come to the party.
“The arrest of my clients had nothing to do with what they are linked with, but it’s a business turf war, where the employer of my clients is being targeted by his competitors for their own nefarious reasons,” said Strauss.
Due to technicalities involved in the bail application, the court postponed the bail application to 18 November, when the investigating officer would be called to take a witness stand to argue why the suspects should not be granted bail.
