The case of the three men arrested and charged with the murder of five-year-old Ditebogo Phalane Junior has been postponed to next week for their formal bail application.
National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana said the three suspects appeared briefly at the Pretoria North magistrate’s court on Tuesday.
Mahanjana said the matter was postponed to September 5 for their formal bail application. During their previous court appearance in May this year, the suspects abandoned their bail application at the same court.
The matter was postponed for further police investigations. also for a decision by the Director of Public Prosecutions during the previous occasion.
Killed while running to greet his father
The three suspets, Elia Moeko, 36, Ali Sithole, 30, and Nido Gumbe, 29, are all from Soshanguve South. They are facing a charge of murder and robbery with aggravating circumstances. This in connection with the murder of Ditebogo Phalane Junior. Ditebogo was shot and killed in May during a hijacking at his Soshanguve home.
The boy was running up to his father, who had just returned home, when armed men shot and killed him. Mahanjana said Gumbe, who is a Mozambican national, is facing a charge of being illegal in the country.
“It is alleged that on May 10 2024, the three shot and killed a five-year-old boy, Ditebogo Phalane Junior. This was when they were robbing his father, Tebogo Phalane, of his vehicle.
“After investigations by the Directorate of Priority Crime Detection led by Major General Khumalo, the three were arrested at Pretoria Moot Police Station on May 23 2024, where they were kept in custody for other unrelated charges.
“In court, the three abandoned their bail application and disclosed to the court that they had pending cases,” said Mahanjana in May.
Suspects committed other crimes after killing of Ditebogo
Mahanjana said Moeko has a pending case of possession of an unlicensed firearm and possession of unlicensed ammunition. Sithole has a pending case at Ga-Rankuwa magistrates’ court that will appear on June 28 2024. He is facing charges of possession of a firearm, possession of ammunition, attempted murder, and robbery with aggravating circumstances. Mahanjana said Sithole also has a pending case at Atteridgeville magistrates’ court. He is facing charges of possession of a prohibited firearm and possession of ammunition.
Furthermore, Mahanjana said Gumbe also has a pending case at Atteridgeville magistrates’ court. There he is facing charges of possession of a prohibited firearm and possession of ammunition. Sithole and Gumbe were arrested for charges unrelated to the murder of Ditebogo shortly after his murder.
Moeko was also arrested for charges unrelated to the murder of Ditebogo shortly after his murder. Mahanjana said Moeko, Sithole and Gumbe are linked and charged with the murder of Ditebogo. They are also charged with the robbery of his father’s vehicle.
Mahanjana said the possibility exists of more suspects being charged with the murder of the Ditebogo. Ditebogo was laid to rest in Soshanguve in May.
