Accused in Tongaat farm murder to appear at court

Published May 22, 2018

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*The article was updated to reflect that the accused's private lawyer was unavailable at court on Tuesday.

DURBAN - Over a month after the “brutal” murder at a Tongaat farmhouse, the three accused are set to finally appear before the Durban Regional Court on Wednesday after postponements in their previous appearances.

Smangaliso Michael Mayela, 21, Nkosinathi Ngcobo, 20, and Odwa Zide, 21, stand accused of murder and robbery with aggravated circumstances.

The attack on the farmhouse in Esnembe near OThongathi was described as “brutal and well-orchestrated” by neighbours who gathered at the scene in the aftermath of the bloody incident.

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The body of Virathapusharam, 70 was found gagged and left behind a bed in her her room with a pillow over the body.

Her 72-year-old husband, Steve Govender, managed to escape death by playing dead when the attackers returned to check on him.

Distraught relatives outside the farmhouse in the aftermath of the murder of a 70-year-old woman. Picture: Motshwari Mofokeng/Africa News Agency.

According to a source, the family had to clean blood stains across the house in the wake of the murder.

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Police arrested Zide on Friday, and the trio were set to appear at the Durban Magistrates Court on Monday but had not been transported from Westville Correctional Centre to the court on time.

The accused in the Tongaat farmhouse murder accuse at the Durban Regional Court dock.

On Tuesday, while the trio took to the dock, their private defence lawyer was not present in court.

Magistrate Anand Maharaj confirmed, at the request of State Prosecutor Kuveshnie Pillay, that the accused would be held in custody at the Durban Central SAPS station until their court appearance on Wednesday.

SUNDAY TRIBUNE

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