The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has withdrawn charges against Mduduzi Trevor Mnisi in the murder case of Likhona Fose.
Mnisi was initially charged with the brutal murder of Fose, who went missing on May 31.
During his bail application, Mnisi maintained his innocence, saying he did not know the deceased, and he contested that his phone records would prove that he was in Daveyton, east of Johannesburg, on the day of the crime.
On Wednesday, the NPA directed the investigating officer to verify Mnisi’s story, and subsequent investigations confirmed Mnisi’s phone was linked to a tower in Daveyton on the day Fose disappeared.
To further support Mnisi’s claim, additional witness statements corroborated that he could not have been the last person seen with Fose.
Withdrawal logical
“The decision to withdraw charges is therefore fair and responsible under these circumstances,” explained NPA spokesperson Phindi Mjonondwane.
The NPA has appealed to the public for assistance in cracking the case.
“At this stage, we urge community members to work with us in our attempts to find justice for the affected family,” said Mjonondwane.
The investigation into Fose’s death remains ongoing as authorities continue to seek answers about the events leading to her death.
Fose’s remains were found in an open veld at Durban Deep on June 1.
The 14-year-old grade 8 pupil at Ikusasalethu Secondary School in Braamfischerville was found with her body mutilated during National Child Protection Week.
The National Child Protection Week ran from May 25 to June 1.
According to Fose’s family, the girl was playing with friends nearby when she vanished and never returned home that afternoon.
The family was already worried because she had not slept at home before she was found by someone walking through an open field.
Her lower body had marks that indicated she had been beaten, but the family said they are not sure if she had been raped before being killed.
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