Cape Town - Slain activist Loyiso Nkohla-Mabandla’s wife said the two murder accused who will apply for bail next month are “just wasting the State’s time”.
On Thursday, Zukile Tshabile, Mziyanda Mdlungu and Mzubanzi Chulayo appeared for the first time together in the Athlone Magistrate’s Court.
The Hawks arrested Tshabile in October, months after Nkohla was gunned down in April last year.
The alleged killers left other people injured, including former ward councillor Thembinkosi Pupa and a pregnant woman.
In November, Mdlungu was tracked down in Gauteng, while Chulayo was apprehended in Peddie, Eastern Cape.
National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila said: “The three are facing premeditated murder, attempted murder, illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition charges.”
Yesterday, Tshabile said through his Legal Aid representative that he will not apply for bail, while the two others said they want to apply.
Nyameka Mabandla, Nkohla’s wife, said she will get a petition that will ask the court to not grant bail to the two accused.
“It’s quite disgusting that you have criminals who have killed a person, wasting the court’s time wanting bail. I’m glad that Tshabile abandoned his bail application.
“I just don’t understand why criminals feel that it’s okay to kill and then after that keep wasting the court’s time applying for bail when they have been identified as the ones who did what they did.
“Criminals come to court and demand rights, wasting the State’s resources. Where is the justice in that? I think it’s time for this country to revisit laws, so that criminals can have reduced rights because I’m a 34-yearold widow today.
“They can’t be roaming our streets, and if the courts give them bail I’m going to mobilise every individual in the city to make sure that they will not walk freely in the city for as long as I live, and if they want to kill me they can come, I’m ready for them.”
She said she was still trying to find out what their motive was.
“I’m grappling to understand why they would have wanted to kill both of us, young parents who are trying to make a living for their children… trying to uplift the community.”
The case was postponed till March 4 for bail application and Tshabile will appear on March 28 for further investigation.
The State told the court the post-mortem, statements and another suspect were still outstanding.