Update: Victor Molosi murder trial

Update

KNYSNA NEWS - Knysna Taxi Forum secretary Mandla Tyololo is set to spend another month in custody as his case saw yet another postponement at the Knysna Magistrate's Court on 18 September.

Tyololo was arrested on 3 August in connection with the murder of ANC councillor Victor Molosi and was later charged with conspiracy to commit murder.

During his brief appearance in court his lawyer, Carl Jeppe read his statement accompanied by a ten-page affidavit.

In his statement, read by his lawyer during the schedule 5 official bail application, Tyololo said that he believes that the state doesn’t have a case against him and that they have known about the allegations since last year and failed to do anything about it.

He said he was never interviewed about the rumours and that the police failed to act upon them.

Detailing his reasons for wanting bail he said being kept in custody means he cannot support his children; his taxi business stands to suffer as he won’t be able to pay the monthly installments which could affect his credit records in the future.

Tyololo said that he is still a member of the taxi forum even though the forum distanced itself from the incident upon his arrest, he also said he is serving member of the ANC and is the deputy chairperson of the organisation at ward 7 and says being kept in custody might cost him his titles and tarnish his reputation.

Tyololo who was found guilty of assault GBH in 2008 said he could afford R2000 bail and would comply with the conditions of the bail and that he would even relocate to another town if he had to and the address is on the affidavit that he wasn’t willing to have read in court.

State prosecutor Vandana Premchard applied for a postponement because the state needed to go through the affidavit that accompanied his statement.

To which Jeppe opposed because the accused had been in custody since his arrest and that the matter was still to be transferred to the congested regional court which means the case could take years before it concludes.

Premchard said the state doesn’t think the postponement is an unfair request and stood by her application.

Magistrate Flippie Hendricks took note of Jeppe’s argument and asked when the affidavit was made available and upon learning that it was only made available on the day said considering that the document is 10 pages long and the contents thereof and weighed that up against justice and criminal procedure act and saw it fitting to approve the application.