Cape Town – Shiraaz Jaftha will no longer be applying for bail in the Meghan Cremer kidnapping and murder trial.
The 34-year-old Jaftha was the only one of the trio of accused who had decided to apply for bail, but he withdrew his application in the Athlone Magistrate's Court on Wednesday.
His co-accused – Jeremy Sias, 27, and Charles Daniels, 39 – had earlier abandoned their bail applications and the case was postponed to October 16 for further investigation.
Sias, who grew up on the farm where Cremer lived in a cottage, has been charged with murder and armed robbery and his two co-accused are charged with car theft and defeating the ends of justice.
Jaftha has a pending murder case and a prior drug conviction, while Sias and Daniels, like Jaftha, also have criminal records for theft and assault. They are all believed to be members of the Six Bobs gang.
Showjumper Cremer was allegedly kidnapped from a Philippi stud farm early on Saturday evening on August 3.
Cremer's remains were found on a sand mine in Philippi on the morning of August 8. Her hands had been tied and she had a restraint around her neck.
Protesters representing SA Women Fight Back packed the gallery today, hoping President Cyril Ramaphosa's vow to enforce stiffer sentences against people who commit gender-based violence becomes a reality.
"Ramaphosa said life," said Kim Bouchier, TimesLive reported. "It mustn't be 15 years, it must be life."