Power outages on Monday forced court officials to postpone the formal bail application of five young men accused of the brutal slayings of three people and an unborn child near Melmoth in northern KwaZulu-Natal.
The second appearance of Spesihle Nduli, 21, Mxolisi Biyela, 19, Sitanda Khanyile, 18, Phakamani Ngema, 26, and a 16-year-old juvenile who may not be identified will instead appear on Tuesday in the Melmoth Magistrate’s Court.
The case made headlines earlier this month after police, responding to a call, arrived at a home in the Zululiyaduma area near Melmoth only to find the bodies of Maureen Mabizela, 49, her son Lucky Mhlongo, 30, and pregnant daughter Nobuhle Mhlongo, 27.
They had been hacked with pangas before being shot execution-style during the early hours of the morning.
Police found two small children, aged two and four, inside the home and believe the suspects had entered the homestead while the victims were asleep.
A fourth adult woman survived the attack and was taken to hospital in a critical condition. Police on Monday could not confirm her status.
The group, who were arrested at a neighbouring homestead, each face a charge of robbery, three charges of murder and one charge of attempted murder.
South Africa Today – South Africa News
