The three men accused of shooting and killing five-year-old Ditebogo Phalane Junior in Soshanguve, Pretoria in May last year will be formally charged with other crimes they allegedly committed in Loate, Atteridgeville and Marikana in the North West.
This was revealed on Thursday when Elia Maeko (36), Ali Sithole (30) and Nido Gumbe (29) appeared at the Pretoria North Magistrate’s Court in connection with the murder of Ditebogo Phalane Junior.
During court proceedings on Thursday, state prosecutor Advocate Tumelo Letaoana told magistrate Naseema Khan that the state would like to apply for a postponement of the case to another date.
Tow additional dockets link trio
Letaoana said the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) in Gauteng has received two additional dockets linking the three accused to other criminal offences.
He said the state wants to apply for the centralisation of the two dockets.
Letaoana said the office of the DPP is in the process of drafting the indictments. These are in relation to all the cases the three accused will be charged with.
He said the three accused are additionally linked to crimes of robbery and hijacking. The crimes were committed in Loate and Atteridgeville in Pretoria, and Marikana in North West.
Letaoana said the indictments are not yet ready.
The lawyer of the three accused, Thandeka Grace Ngwenya, from Legal Aid SA, did not oppose the state’s request for a postponement.
Khan postponed the matter to November 12 for the state to finalise the indictments. Also for the centralisation of the two additional dockets.
Ditebogo killed during a hijacking
Maeko, Sithole and Gumbe, are all from Soshanguve South. They face charges of murder and robbery with aggravating circumstances. The charges are in relation to Ditebogo Phalane Junior’s murder on May 10 2024.
Maeko faces additional charges of possession of an unlicensed firearm and possession of unlicensed ammunition.
Additionally, Gumbe, a Mozambican national, faces an extra charge of being in the country illegally.
Maeko was denied bail in July, while Sithole and Gumbe abandoned their bail applications.
All three men remain in police custody.
Previously, the investigating officer in the case, linked the trio to other crimes. Sergeant Sevhasa Mashudu told the court that before Phalane Junior’s 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.
Notorious gang terrorised residents
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.
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.
Ditebogo Phalane Junio was shot and killed in May last year during a hijacking at his Soshanguve home in Pretoria.
The 5-year-old was shot and killed on the Friday evening of May 10 2024. This occurred when he was running up to his father, who had just returned home. The armed men shot and killed him as they were trying to hijack his father.
