The Verulam Magistrate’s court in KwaZulu-Natal is expected to hand down judgement in the bail application of six men accused of murdering Andile Mbuthu , at Hambanathi outside Tongaat in May.
The seventh accused, a minor, had previously abandoned his bail application.
The incident drew outrage from the Hambanathi community after videos surfaced showing Mbuthu lying on the floor of a room, bleeding and badly beaten, his body was retrieved from the Tongaat river two weeks later.
Judgment on the bail application was expected to be delivered earlier this month, but was postponed after one of the court employees tested positive for COVID-19.
Police Minister Bheki Cele visited the Tongaat Police Station in efforts to get Mbuthu’s case resolved.
He tasked KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Elvis Jula to address the broken relationship between Tongaat residents and the local police station.
This came after residents accused the police of negligence and failure to move swiftly to attend to the case of Mbuthu.
Cele also visited the Mbuthu family to get first-hand information about how police handled the teenager’s murder case.
He said, “We have discovered along the way that there has been an injured relationship between the police and the Tongaat station. The family has told us the story why they have a problem with the station. They are very satisfied with the progress made by the police at the provincial level. But our argument is that it should not be the provincial level, but it should be the police at the station level with the community doing those things. The provincial commissioner has taken it upon himself to find out what happened. Those things that family and the community are making the allegations about will be investigated. We will come back and report to the family.”
Cele addresses media following death of Hambanathi teen:
The six suspects were only arrested almost a week after staff at the provincial police head office had taken over the case, after the family sought help from Cele.
According to the family and Hambanathi residents, Tongaat police had been dragging their feet to arrest the suspects.
Andile’s uncle , Ntobeko Ngidi said, “They didn’t secure the place as a crime scene. That’s the first thing. Secondly, they didn’t take any pictures as proof that this has been discovered at the crime scene on a specific date. However, many questions have been raised as our concern, that what will happen when the perpetrators may eradicate that evidence that may be used?”
Bail hearing in Andile Mbuthu murder trial continues
Tavern owner accused of murdering Andile Mbuthu ‘has close links with police’
During cross-examination the Verulam Magistrate’s Court earlier heard that the tavern had close links with local police officers.
According to evidence during Mlungisi Thabethe’s bail application, 24 cases of beer and spirits were stolen. Thabethe admitted that he took Mbuthu from a local takeaway to his tavern to question him about the missing liquor.
He had earlier told the court that he slapped Mbuthu, who admitted to taking the liquor.
In his earlier testimony, Thabethe said that he told Mbuthu to never come back to the tavern and that he knew nothing of the teenager’s disappearance.
It is believed this was the same day that a video was taken of a bleeding Mbuthu lying on the floor after an alleged beating, which circulated on social media. The video and the local police’s alleged inaction after the teenager was reported missing which angered local residents.
Responding to questions from the state, Thabethe testified that he did not want to open a case against Mbuthu because the teenager is his cousin.
Shah, however, pointed out that Thabethe is on such good terms with local police officers that he knows them by their nicknames.
