Durban — The Department of Correctional Services and the families of two women allegedly murdered by a Hillcrest SAPS member who was their lover have confirmed that the officer killed himself while in custody at Westville Prison.
Mlungisi Blessing Sikhakhane was charged with the murders of his long-time girlfriend, Sthembile Ngobese, and his girlfriend of fewer than five months, Enhle Majola.
The fathers of the two women on Monday confirmed to the Daily News that, on Sunday, they had learned through law enforcement that Sikhakhane had taken his life.
Sikhakhane is alleged to have shot the two women in KwaNyuswa, where he was renting.
He was meant to make his bail application on January 19 at the Pinetown Magistrate’s Court. This had been after he had previously abandoned bail.
Last week, Sikhakhane’s new attorney, Advocate R.M. Luthuli, told the court that he had been instructed to apply for bail.
His previous attorney had withdrawn as his legal counsel on the same day that Sikhakhane abandoned bail.
Previously, Sikhakhane had indicated that he wanted his bid to be heard by a different magistrate, not one from the Pinetown Court.
At the beginning of November, on the day when Sikhakhane had been expected to apply for bail, he, instead, instructed his counsel to apply for Magistrate Wendalynn Robinson’s recusal as the presiding magistrate.
At the time, his reasons stated in court were that over the past few days, it had been brought to his attention that Majola’s father worked at the court, and as such, Sikhakhane had concerns regarding the bias of the court in dealing with the matter.
The defence had indicated that Sikhakhane’s concerns were that he was “uncertain if the father of the deceased has interacted with your worship (Robinson)”.
It is believed that Sikhakhane left a suicide note.
Majola’s father, Sandile Oscar Msomi, on Monday, confirming Sikhakhane’s suicide, said that while the family had been robbed of closure, Sikhakhane’s death did bring him a sense of relief.
Ngobese’s father, Isaac Ngobese, echoed Msomi’s sentiments, saying that he hoped that the answers the two families yearned for would come from Sikhakhane’s suicide note.
Daily News