Cape Town – The 23-year-old suspect alleged to
have murdered Ukranian businessman
Ivan Ivanov appeared in the Wynberg
Magistrate’s Court yesterday where the
case was postponed to August 21 for a
bail application.
Sinaye Mposelwa has been charged with murder and robbery with aggravating circumstances following the attack on Ivanov, 44, at the East Fort on Chapman’s Peak Drive at the weekend.
Mposelwa’s two alleged accomplices are still being sought by police.
The court yesterday heard from prosecutor Nicky Konisi that Mposelwa had another case pending against him.
By yesterday more than 3 000 people had signed a petition calling for Mposelwa’s bail to be denied.
Ivanov had been in Cape Town on business when he decided to spend his last day hiking on Chapman’s Peak.
At around 11.30am Mposelwa and two of his accomplices are alleged to have attacked Ivanov. During a brief struggle Ivanvov was stabbed multiple times, robbed and left to die.
On Sunday Hout Bay residents gathered at the scene where Ivanov was killed and placed flowers in the area.
He leaves his widow and three children in the Ukraine.
The Portfolio Committee on Tourism yesterday applauded the Hout Bay neighbourhood watch for apprehending the suspect.
“The portfolio committee vows to do all in its power to co-ordinate activities to ensure that such heinous crimes against tourists are not repeated.
‘‘We have noted from our interaction with inbound tour operators and South African Tourism, which is our marketing entity, that perceptions about crime in South Africa are negatively impacting on tourism.
‘‘This in turn has a negative impact on the socio-economic benefits of the sector, particularly tourism’s contribution to gross domestic product, job creation and ultimately poverty alleviation,” it said.
The committee said it planned to convene a joint oversight meeting with key role-players including SAPS, the provincial commissioners of police, national and provincial tourism authorities, and major tourism attraction entities.