DURBAN - THE MAN accused of murdering Anele Bhengu appeared in court on Monday.
Bhengu was raped and stabbed several times. Her body was discovered a short distance from the home of a friend she had been visiting in uMbumbulu last week.
National Prosecuting Authority KZN spokesperson Natasha Kara said Thulani Nandos Cele faced charges of murder and assault.
She said the matter was remanded to June 30, 2021 for bail information and Cele was remanded in custody.
Cele’s appearance comes after the Department of Social Development announced his arrest on June 17.
“Determined police officers from Port Shepstone Tactical Response Team, Margate Detectives and other units followed up on information regarding the suspect and he was arrested in the Mlahlandlini area, Gcilima, on the South Coast,” the department said.
Social Development MEC Nonhlanhla Khoza called for the suspect to face the full might of the law.
“Our justice system must send out a strong message that there is no place in our democracy for such callous and inhumane acts," she said
Bhengu’s murder caused a public outrage because she was a lesbian and people though her murder was a hate crime.
The Lesbian, Gay, Transgender Queer and Intersex (LGBTQI) community marched to the police station in the area last week, demanding that the police prioritise Bhengu’s case.
Khoza and eThekwini speaker Weziwe Thusi visited the Bhengu family to offer their condolences.
THE MERCURY