Bele's bail application fails again

Kidnapping, rape and murder suspect Mashudu Bele’s case was postponed yet again, this time because his main witness refused to testify in the Thohoyandou Magistrate’s Court on Monday, 13 November.

Bele’s lawyer, Advocate Ntsako Hlungwane, who is known for handling high-profile cases, told the court that the witness had told him earlier that morning that she no longer wished to testify as a witness. 

The case was postponed to 20 November to allow the defence more time to prepare for the case.

Bele’s arrest followed the disappearance of Fhatuwani Asnath Nguluvhe (34), who went missing from the Thavhani Mall on the evening of 6 March this year after finishing work at around 20:30.

On 22 March, Bele was arrested in Tshikweta village in connection with her disappearance. At the time of his arrest, he was allegedly in possession of Nguluvhe’s bank cards. Following police interrogations, Bele directed them to where he had discarded her remains along the R524 Punda Maria road, near Maniini village. By that time, her body was already in an advanced state of decomposition.

During the court proceedings, members of the Vhembe Concerned Group marched outside the courthouse, chanting slogans such as “No bail for GBV offenders”, and “Bele should rot in jail”.

Date:16 November 2023

By: Victor Mukwevho

Victor Mukwevho Ne-vumbani joined the Mirror during it's inception in 1990. He joined the SABC newsroom in 1995, and was known by  listeners as "A u fhedzisela ari". He was a news editor for The Tembisan Newspaper from 2007 to 2015. He rejoined the Limpopo Mirror newspaper in June 2022 as a freelance journalist.

Read: 1765