VILAKAZI DENIED BAIL REGARDING ALLEGED MURDER OF GIRLFRIEND HADEBE

Murder-accused Mthokozisi Vilakazi was denied bail at the Mamelodi Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday.

He is charged with killing his girlfriend Sibongile Hadebe and hiding her corpse at an illegal dumping site in Mamelodi East between Koos Matli Primary School and Extension 4, where he allegedly set the corpse alight.

The incident happened in June this year.

Hadebe’s burnt corpse was discovered by passersby, who use the area as a thoroughfare, (short cut road in township lingo).

Earlier this year Vilakazi appeared in the selfsame Mamelodi Magistrate’s Court where he announced that he won’t be applying for bail but during his appearance on Wednesday he asked to be released on bail, but his request was turned down by the Magistrate.

Inside the courtroom Vilakazi appeared angry, frustrated and out-of-sorts while outside the court determined members of the ANC Youth League, ANC Women’s League and anti Gender-Based Violence brigades sang and toyi-toyied demanding that he must not be granted bail.

They threatened that all hell would break loose should Vilakazi be granted bail.

The presiding Magistrate apparently concurred with the toyi-toying crowd and remanded him in custody while postponing the matter to 11 December to allow the police to conduct further investigations.

The murdered Sibongile Hadebe’s brother Siphamandla Hadebe told Tshwane Talks that he was relieved that Mthokozisi Vilakazi has been denied bail because a person who has committed such a heinous act doesn’t deserve to be released on bail.

“As a family we are still trying to come to terms with the death of our sister and to all women who find themselves in abusive relationships my advice to them would be that they must get out of such a relationship as soon as possible,” said Hadebe.

ANC Women’s League Mamelodi Zone coordinator Grace Zwane expressed satisfaction that Vilakazi has been denied bail and appealed to the powers that be to speed up the trial process so that the family of Sibongile Hadebe can find closure.

Anti Gender-Based Violence brigade member Betty Sibeko of Mamelodi also said it was befitting that Vilakazi was denied bail and vowed to support the family of the late Sibongile Hadebe all the way until the matter is finalised in the courts of law.

ANC Youth League Regional Executive Committee member Pleasure Mphakani said they will attend court proceedings until Vilakazi is found guilty and revealed that Sibongile Hadebe was a member of the ANC Youth League.

She pointed out that ladies must realise that once their partner beats them up even for once, then the said partner is an abusive person and they as ladies must therefore get out of such a relationship.