Betty Moleya
Pretoria - The public is calling for justice for the late Sam Junior Mbatha, who was found burnt beyond recognition inside the boot of his car in June last year.
The 24-year-old marketing, brand and digital communications professional at North West University was last seen on June 16.
The following morning, his charred remains were discovered on a soccer field in Ikageng Section, but DNA tests had to be conducted first to confirm if the body was his.
His family, from Klipgat near Mabopane, only received the forensic results this week. His uncle Mthengiseni Mbatha said they had not yet come to terms with his untimely death.
He said this was compounded by the fact that three of the four men arrested in connection with the murder were out on bail.
The suspects – Arthur Khoza, 19, Thato Masilela, 22, Junior Modise, 21, and Mahlatsi Nkuna, 21 – are due to appear in the Ga-Rankuwa Magistrate's Court on a murder charge on January 18.
Three of them were arrested just days after the gruesome discovery. An investigation led the police to a house in another Klipgat section, where more evidence was found.
In one of the bedrooms the police found blood stains on the floor as well as under and on top of a bed, as well as on the carpet. An axe suspected to have been used during the crime was found on top of the roof of the house.
Three of the accused were given bail of R500, while one remains in police custody.
#JusticeForSam and #SamDeservesJustice have been trending on social media, and many have taken to their timelines to share their thoughts and grief about the killing.
They are calling for a harsh sentence for anyone found guilty of the murder.
Funeral details have yet to be finalised.
Pretoria News