The Verulam Magistrate’s Court north of Durban has heard that the exhumation of the body of Phoenix attack victim Mondle Majola is expected to take place sometime next week. Majola was killed in one of the attacks that took place in Phoenix at the time of the July unrest that had engulfed KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng.
His body is to be exhumed because of the dispute regarding his cause of death.
During cross-examination, the investigating officer, Siphosenkosi Shezi, told the Verulam Magistrate’s Court that approval has been received from the Eastern Cape division of the High Court and the Department of Environmental Affairs to exhume the body of Mondle Majola.
A post mortem report suggests that Majola did not die from gunshot wounds but was stabbed. At the time of death, the deceased was staying at Amaoti in Inanda but was buried at his family home at Flagstaff in the Eastern Cape.
Defence request to have the body exhumed:
The defence has asked for the representatives of the three accused to be present at the exhumation. According to the defence, since the State aims to obtain evidence against the accused, they should be allowed to have an expert present.
They said this is to ensure that there is no foul play throughout the process since Shezi is questioning the scientific evidence from the State’s Forensic Pathologist.
The accused brothers Dylan and Ned Govender and Jeetendra Jaikissoon are being charged with murder and attempted murder. The bail application continues tomorrow.
