Johannesburg- It has been an emotional roller-coaster ride for Mnyamezeli Mtolo and his family as they try to come to terms with the brutal killing of his brother allegedly at the hands of his employers in Clairwood, southeast of Durban.
Mtolo spent the better part of this week attending a court case at Durban magistrate’s court where Tyson Nagana, 32, Sagre Mariah, 49, and Romalen Govender face charges of premeditated murder and kidnapping.
On Thursday, the accused were denied bail on the grounds that they had submitted flimsy reasons, which were not convincing to the court.
Speaking to Sunday World, Mtolo said the court’s decision not to grant bail to the accused was a strong indication that justice would be served for the callous killing of his brother.
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He said he struggled to sleep because of flashbacks, saying he had tried in vain to save his brother.
“I received a call from one of his colleagues who said he had heard loud screams coming from a certain location inside the company premises. He said Loyiso was crying for help. By the time I reached Clairwood, his attackers had already kidnapped him [and moved him] to another venue where they tied him up and assaulted him further before using pliers to remove his teeth and broke his jaw,” said Mtolo, describing the gruesome murder.
The deceased, Loyiso Mbidana, was working for a logistics company as a security guard.
According to the charge sheet before the court, the cause of his death arose from being assaulted with a baseball bat after his employers suspected him of stealing copper cables from the premises he was guarding.
It is alleged that before dying, Mbidana was tied with barbed wire, made to drink a deadly chemical before a pair of pliers was used to remove his teeth.
The heinous crime was allegedly committed on September 29. Mtolo said they had discovered Mbidana lying on the floor where he had been left to die by his attackers. “When we reached the scene, he said ‘ngicela amanzi’ [can I have water]”.
He then narrated what had happened before collapsing. We rushed him to the hospital, but he didn’t make it. He had lost a lot of blood.
“Some of his limbs were broken as if he was crushed with a heavy object or a hammer.” He added that other security guards said his brother had been questioned by the bosses about the missing copper cables and two batteries during the night when he was on duty.
“There was a break-in and when he reported to the bosses, they didn’t accept his explanation.”
Back in the home village of Bizana in the Eastern Cape, Mbidana’s mother suffered a stroke on learning of his death.
“His minor child will also grow up without a father,” lamented Mtolo. In his explosive affidavit, investigating officer detective warrant officer Rudolph Grobler said the accused had tried to conceal evidence by cleaning the murder scene.
“There were no traces of blood on the floor. We were aided by the criminal record center that illuminated several places where blood was present, including the floor and walls,” said Grobler.
National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson in KwaZulu-Natal Natasha Kara said: “The matter is back in court in January for further investigation.”
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