Cape Town - Supporters of Abirah Dekhta and her family have criticised the lack of remorse shown by the seven men charged with kidnapping the 8-year-old girl.
The accused, aged between 25 and 47, appeared in the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court on Monday.
Abirah was snatched in Gatesville while in school transport on the morning of November 4.
On receiving a tip-off on November 14, police descended on a shack in Town Two, Khayelitsha, and found the suspects guarding the shack. They tried to evade arrest but were captured.
After consulting their legal representation, three of the suspects could be seen grinning. After their appearance, the group left the dock but individually searched for their supporters in the courtroom, winking and smiling while Abirah’s family looked on.
National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila said: “Counsel for accused five and six is applying for the disclosure of the docket to them, and I think counsel for accused three and four is also asking for warning statements to be made available.
“The application has been postponed to January 12, because we were not aware that they were going to bring such an application. We will be able to respond after that, after we’ve seen what they are asking for, which is likely to be possible because we’ll not be able to respond immediately.”
Ntabazalila said the accused plan to bring bail applications on January 18.
All the accused have now secured legal representation, and are charged under the Prevention of Organised Crime Act (Poca) for being a part of a gang.
Accused two has been charged with robbery with aggravating circumstances, and all have been charged with kidnapping-alternatively human trafficking, attempted extortion and contravention of the Cybercrime Act.
“They will apply for bail on January 18, that’s why they’re bringing a bail application, but we’ll oppose it,” Ntabazalila said.
After the appearance, Gatesville Neighbourhood Watch chairperson Fowzia Veerasamy said they were all frustrated, yet remained hopeful.
“We are overwhelmed with panic because we don’t know what is going to happen next. It’s a different technicality every time, a move that they make, every time it’s a different correspondence that we have to carry over and it’s heartbreaking.
“It’s just another postponement, another way of them weighing up their options. And for them to stand there, laugh and giggle while winking at their family. It’s heartbreaking.”