The Pretoria North Magistrate’s Court has denied bail to Elia Maeko, 36, one of the three men accused of shooting and killing five-year-old Ditebogo Phalane Junior in Soshanguve, Pretoria, in May last year.
Maeko and his co-accused, Ali Sithole, 30, and Nido Gumbo, 29, appeared at the same court on Wednesday for judgement in Maeko’s bail application.
Sithole and Gumbo have abandoned their bail applications
National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana said Maeko submitted a bail affidavit. In it he claims that he needed to take care of his two minor children and his late brother’s child.
Suspect brought bail affidavit
“He further stated that his continued incarceration would result in a loss of income. As he operates a hair salon and offers school transport services,” said Mahanjana.
Mahanjana said state prosecutor Advocate Tumelo Letaoane opposed Maeko’s bail application. Letaoane led evidence from the investigating officer, Sergeant Sevhasa Mashudu, who testified that Maeko posed a flight risk. He said Letaoane had misled the court by not disclosing previous convictions. And he could endanger witnesses known to him.
Magistrate Naseema Khan ruled that Maeko failed to prove the existence of exceptional circumstances. These would have justified his release on bail.
“As a result, bail was denied,” said Mahanjana.
Maeko’s bail application was heard between April and June this year.
The matter against the three accused was postponed to September 10 2025 for indictment.
Maeko, Sithole and Gumbo, who are all from Soshanguve South, face a series of charges. These include murder, robbery with aggravating circumstances, possession of an unlicensed firearm. Also possession of unlicensed ammunition, all in relation to Ditebogo Phalane Junior’s murder on May 10 2024.
Undocumented foreigner
Additionally, Gumbo, a Mozambican national, faces an extra charge of being in the country illegally.
Previously, Mashudu told the court that before the murder, police were investigating a gang known as Task Team. This is a gang of five people responsible for robbing and hijacking people of their vehicles in the area.
He said the gang “terrorised” people who lived in areas such as Mabopane, Soshanguve, Akasia and Rustenburg.
Mashudu said when he was assigned to Ditebogo’s case, he knew the same gang was responsible for the crime.
Part of notorious gang
He said Maeko, Sithole, and Gumbo are part of the gang. Mashudu said police are still looking for the other two suspects who are part of the gang.
The he 5-year-old was shot and killed during a hijacking at his Soshanguve home in Pretoria.
This happened on the Friday evening of May 10 2024. Ditebogo was running up to his father, who had just returned home, when armed men shot and killed him.
