Angry Sendedza residents of Nzhelele outside Louis Trichardt protested outside the Dzanani Magistrate's Court, demanding that the court not grant bail to suspects in a murder case.
The suspects, Tendani Shonisani Ramagwala and Phathutshedzo Mavhungu, are charged with the murder of Mr Ndishavhelafhi Madzhie, a teacher at Mandala Primary School. Madzhie was allegedly attacked by three men while on his way home from a drinking bout with friends.
It is suspected that the assailants might have noticed that he had money and they followed him. It was only the interference of passing people that saved him from death on the spot. One suspect, Jomo Mulimu, was initially arrested for the crime and was charged with attempted murder. Madzhie died three weeks later in hospital and the other two were arrested in connection with the murder.
The incident made the local residents very angry and they vowed that, should the suspects be released on bail, they would take the law into their own hands. On Wednesday, the many angry residents who waved placards made it clear that the two should not be granted bail as their safety could not be guaranteed in the community. "We are here as a community to make our stand clear that the suspects do not deserve to be released on bail, on the grounds that they are a threat to the community. We won't feel safe as a community when they are roaming the streets. We are also afraid that witnesses in the case would feel threatened and might not feel free to testify," some of the villagers said.
They added that the community was united to send a strong message that crime did not pay, that whoever commited crime should know that they would not be tolerated in the community and they would not have anywhere to stay. "The suspects' safety cannot be guaranteed if they are granted bail because residents are angry. We had to calm them down as they wanted to take the law into their own hands," said Mashudu Shuffle Marubini, a community leader.
Marubini further indicated Jomo Mulimu, the first to be arrested in connection with the attack on Madzhie, should join the other two and that the charge against him be changed from attempted murder to murder.
Another of the leaders, Mr Wilson Ramese of the Sendedza Royal Council, said they also wanted his bail revoked and that he be remanded in custody until the case was finalised. "We will not rest and will always come to court to oppose the granting of bail, until the suspects are convicted and sent to jail forever," he said.
The case was postponed to 30 June, so that the accused could be joined and charged together.
The protesters later dispersed peacefully to their different homes.