Johannesburg - A man arrested for his alleged involvement in the murder of two men and the rape of a woman at Rhodes Park in Kensington made a brief appearance in the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court on Monday.
Thabo Nkala, 24, has been charged with murder, rape and attempted murder.
He’s believed to be part of a gang of up to 12 men that allegedly raped a woman in the park last month.
The gang allegedly assaulted the woman’s fiancé and his friend on October 17, tied them up using their clothes and threw them in the lake where they drowned.
On Monday, the matter was postponed again so that the State could verify whether the Zimbabwean man was in the country legally.
Nkala’s lawyer, Desmond Mabunda, told the court that his client intended to apply for bail.
The case was postponed to November 24.
The Star reported previously that Nkala appears to have confessed to his role in the crimes.
The police have said they were confident he would point out his alleged accomplices.
Not long after his arrest, Nkala was taken to Rhodes Park to point out to police where the crimes took place and the gang’s alleged escape route.
With his ankles shackled to prevent him from escaping, he directed officers towards the opening of a drain system that runs beneath the park and the ladder the gang had used to climb down into the drain. The man also pointed out the entrances to the park that were used on the day.
It is believed that Nkala belongs to a gang that has long been terrorising Rhodes Park users.
The manhunt for the remaining suspects continues.
The Star
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