The bail application of two men accused of the murder of seven family members in Vlakfontein – south of Johannesburg will now be heard in the Protea Magistrate’s Court in Soweto.
Ernest Mabaso and Fita Khupe face seven counts of murder.
Mabaso faces additional charges of theft, robbery and three counts of rape. Three women and four children were found murdered and their bodies buried in a heap of sand at their home in Vlakfontein last month.
The matter was transferred to the Soweto court after power outages at the Lenasia Magistrate’s Court where the case was being heard.
“Court would be closed for the next two weeks. I’m afraid I’m left with very little choice. I have to follow the law and therefore I will be transferring this matter to the main court. There are numerous courts there, and I’m fully aware that a lot of those courts can accommodate this. They are not as overcrowded as the Lenasia courts,” says Magistrate Maggie van der Merwe.
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