Two more suspects were arrested last Friday in connection with the murder of the late Collins Chabane mayor, Moses Maluleke.
Avhatakali Isaac Mudau (36) from Maniini was apprehended in Vuwani, and Wiseman Baloyi (36) from Ntlhaveni at his place of work in Saselamani. The arrests follow two weeks after the first two suspects, Shumani Nemadodzi (47) and Avhatakali Mulaudzi (42), were arrested.
Mudau and Baloyi briefly appeared in the Malamulele Magistrates' Court on Monday and were charged with robbery with aggravating circumstances, murder, attempted murder and possession of an unlicensed firearm and ammunition. The matter was postponed to 25 August to allow Baloyi to get legal representation. Both accused remain in custody.
Unlike in the previous appearances regarding the case, where the court was filled to capacity, only close family members, senior Collins Chabane officials (including the mayor, Chief Whip and the Speaker), the NPA, legal representatives, community structures, court officials and the media were allowed inside the courtroom.
A large group of ANC members, dressed in the organisation's colours, sang freedom songs and chanted slogans at the entrance gate of the court premises, where a contingent of police members was stationed.
The Maluleke family's representative, Mr Humphrey Magagula, said he was comfortable with the postponement, seeing that two more suspects had been arrested. "We are hopeful, especially with the recent arrests. It shows that this matter is going somewhere and that justice will be served sooner rather than later. As a family, we are deeply disappointed with the latest arrested suspects. These are very familiar faces to the family, especially Baloyi, with whom we live," Magagula said.
The late Maluleke was killed at his home at Shikundu on 21 July this year, during what was believed to have been a robbery. His 18-year-old son was seriously injured during the incident and admitted to a local hospital.
Initially, three suspects were arrested, but one was later released because of a lack of evidence to link him to the incident. The first two suspects, Shumani Nemadodzi and Avhatakali Mudau, had since abandoned their bail applications on Wednesday, 10 August. They also remain in custody.