Nine murder suspects will spend another month behind bars following their appearance in the Ermelo District Court on Wednesday, 25 June, 2025.
Three of the ten suspects, Siyabonga Duba (31), Njabulo Zwane (27), and Vusi Shabalala (43), appeared for their bail application judgment where they were all denied bail.
The trio was remanded in custody for further investigation. They joined their five co-accused, Mthobisi Nkosi (40), Aubrey Xaba (35), Skhumbuzo Skhakhane (40), Nyiko Mujovo (30), and Gift Mdluli (34) who all abandoned their bail applications. Valencia Skhosana (36) was denied bail earlier this year, and Phepheni Duba (37) was granted R10 000 bail.
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The 10 suspects face charges of murder, conspiracy to commit murder, possession of an unlicensed assault rifle (AK 47) with ammunition and defeating the ends of justice.
On 16 January 2025, the suspects allegedly had a common purpose to murder Ermelo Vehicle Investigation Unit commander, Lieutenant Colonel Piet Pretorius , concealed the murder weapon and burnt the vehicle believed to have been used in the commission of crime. The first five suspects were arrested in Mbombela by the Hawks Secunda based Serious Organised Crime Investigation in less than 12 hours after the incident.
All ten suspects are expected to appear in court on August 14, 2025.
