Durban — An investigating officer in his affidavit opposing bail for four men alleged to have stoned and killed a Quarry Heights woman has described her murder as a cruel act.
In January Nontlahla Matoso was taken from her home at Malacca Road informal settlement allegedly by her neighbour and three other armed men after they had assaulted her in front of her children and their father, accusing her of witchcraft.
On Thursday in the Durban Magistrate’s Court, the bail application for Bongani Zulu, Phiwenkosi Myeni, Sakhile Biyela and Siboniso Biyela began. The four are charged with Matoso’s kidnapping and murder.
Zulu and Myeni are represented by A Khanyile while Sakhile and Siboniso are represented by MI Siphika. Through an affidavit read in court by State Prosecutor Calvin Govender, investigating officer Sergeant Nhlanhla Mhlongo said he was opposed to the accused being released on bail because of the seriousness of the charges.
He said Matoso had sustained critical injuries, one of these being a cracked skull.
“An innocent woman was assaulted and stoned with her cause of death being brain damage. They accused her of witchcraft but they had no evidence of this.
“Women get killed and raped in this country, gender-based violence is escalating, and women in need to be protected from people like the applicants (the accused).
“She was assaulted in front of her children aged 8 and 10 years who are receiving counselling. They are still asking their father when the men that took their mother would be bringing her back,” said Mhlongo.
He said the accused had all been identified by Matoso’s husband who had managed to get the licence plate number of the car of the men who kidnapped his wife and gone to the police with it.
“The deceased was stoned, murdered, and found half naked with no underwear. This was a cruel act.”
Mhlongo said his investigation was incomplete with the post-mortem report as well as other witness statements outstanding.
Khanyile and Siphika prepared affidavits for each of their clients detailing their personal circumstances indicating they all intended to plead not guilty.
Khanyile told the court that Zulu, 45, was a father to four children aged 13, 11, 8 and 5, and they all lived with him and his wife in Quarry Heights, Durban.
He said Zulu had a company that generated an income of about R10 000 a month which he used to support his family and his continued incarceration would prejudice his children.
He said Myeni, 24, was single and had no children, and was a tuckshop owner. Khanyile said both his clients have no previous convictions or pending cases against them.
Siphika said Sakhile, 32, was single and had two children aged 7 and 17 months who live with him in Quarry Heights.
He said his client was employed and implored the court to release him on bail to keep his job.
Siphika said Siboniso, 36, had four children aged 12,10, 5 and 1, who all lived with him and his fiancée. He said that his client was a vendor at the KwaMashu taxi rank.
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