New magistrate to preside over bail hearing for Hillcrest cop charged with double murder

A new magistrate would be assigned to preside over the bail hearing of Hillcrest SAPS member Mlungisi Blessing Sikhakhane tomorrow after the officer charged with the murder of two women applied for the current magistrate’s recusal. Picture: Anelisa Kubheka

A new magistrate would be assigned to preside over the bail hearing of Hillcrest SAPS member Mlungisi Blessing Sikhakhane tomorrow after the officer charged with the murder of two women applied for the current magistrate’s recusal. Picture: Anelisa Kubheka

Published Nov 8, 2022

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Durban — Family members of two women allegedly shot and killed by a Hillcrest SAPS member hurled invective at him as he walked out of the dock in the Pinetown Magistrate’s Court on Monday where his bail application was delayed yet again.

“You murderer. You killed, I wish death on you,” yelled some family members in the courtroom gallery.

This was after yet another delay in the bail application of Mlungisi Blessing Sikhakhane, charged with the alleged murder of his long-time girlfriend, Sthembile Ngobese, and his girlfriend of fewer than five months, Enhle Majola.

He is alleged to have shot the two women in KwaNyuswa where he was renting.

The last time in court Sikhakhane’s bail application was adjourned to Monday as his defence had found out at a late stage that there were witnesses he could interview for purposes of the application.

Instead of the bail hearing proceeding, Sikhakhane’s defence attorney Minoj Harripersad applied that Magistrate Wendallyn Robinson recuse herself from presiding over the matter.

Harripersad said Sikhakhane had instructed him to apply for the recusal because over the past few days it had been brought to his attention that Majola’s father worked at the court and as such Sikhakhane had concerns regarding the bias of the court in dealing with the matter.

Robinson recused herself even though she felt there would be no bias on her part, which saw the matter being adjourned to Thursday.

Outside the Pinetown Magistrate’s Court people protested in support of the families of the two women allegedly murdered by Hillcrest SAPS member Mlungisi Blessing Sikhakhane. They sang songs condemning gender-based violence and called for Sikhakhane to be refused bail, the officer’s bail application was adjourned to Thursday. Picture: Anelisa Kubheka

The further adjournment was much to the disappointment of the families of the two women present in court. Majola’s father Sandile Oscar Msomi, speaking outside court, said he felt that Sikhakhane was playing delaying tactics.

“There’s no way that one can bring such an application at this stage when we haven’t even reached the trial.

“The last time the matter was postponed was because the attorney wanted to get witnesses to balance off his story for the bail application. However, we did not see any witnesses present and now we get an application for the magistrate to be changed.

“This is a clear delaying tactic. We also feel that as South Africans the person facing charges has more rights, far exceeding the rights of a person who has done nothing.”

Msomi said the family felt the delay was unfair and not right. However, they found solace in that the accused was behind bars.

“Let’s get another magistrate, let’s have a fair playing field. It’s a good thing that we get another magistrate, a person with no affiliation with me so that he can understand that there was no bias … the delaying tactics are deliberate.”

Msomi added that Enhle’s mother was still struggling to cope with the ordeal.

“She’s crying, breaking down. You can almost see this is affecting her physically.”

He said the wait was frustrating for the family as it was also delaying them hearing the answers they want.

“We are here waiting for justice to be served but we are nowhere near this, we haven’t started bail. Meaning we are far from the trial for conviction.”

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