Drama erupted at the Makuya Periodical Court when the six accused in the ritual murder case of Mercy Ndou were denied bail.
The six, Gerson Mathoho (54), Eric Khobo Munyai (30), Rhulani Shirindi (43), Shonisani Muruge (43), Khuthadzo Tshidino (28) and Azwinndini Ndou (38), some of whom are facing multiple charges, had a lengthy bail application hearing, which lasted for months.
Judgement was delivered on Friday by Magistrate Hussain Farama in a small, packed court room.
In giving judgment, she said that no exceptional circumstances existed that warranted that the accused be released on bail. She refused all of them bail and postponed the case to 31 August 2018.
During the same sitting, the seventh accused, Lufuno Ramaahia (38), whom police had been looking for, joined the others. He was arrested in Gauteng a fortnight ago and first appeared in court on 15 June.
After the ruling, the situation nearly turned ugly outside the court when two of the accused, Rhulani Shirindi and an unidentified accused, threatened some journalists with violence. They had to be restrained by the police before being taken away to prison.
The accused's arrest and subsequent denial of bail stem from an incident in which Ms Mercy Ndou of Shayandima who was ruthlessly murdered in 2014. Ndou, who was 33 at the time of her death, was found in bushes at Tshitavha outside Thohoyandou, with some of her body parts missing.
A well-known traditional healer, Vusiwana Baloyi, who was 48 at the time of the commission of the murder, was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2016 for her murder.
During the trial, names were mentioned but the police did not arrest those implicated, which did not go down well with the community, who pointed fingers at the police, saying they were sabotaging the investigations. A task team from the province continued with the investigation, which culminated in the arrest of the accused.