Muti drama in Molosi murder case

Update

KNYSNA NEWS - Mandla Tyololo, charged with conspiracy to commit the murder of Knysna ANC councillor Victor Molosi in July, was denied bail in the Knysna Magistrate's Court on Friday 26 October and pandemonium broke out when a bag of muti was allegedly introduced into the fray.

Tyololo was the first suspect to be arrested after Molosi was gunned down mere metres from his home on 23 July.

Before the court proceedings, tensions ran high when the community, who had organised another march to court to protest bail as it has been doing since the inception of the case, loudly booed defence attorney Carl Jeppe as he entered the magistrate's court.

Tyololo's brother from Johannesburg suffered the same fate as he entered court, but when the muti (traditional medicine) he had allegedly brought with him according to witnesses (to ensure that his brother would be granted bail), fell on the floor, panic broke out among the crowd.

And when it came to light that the DCRS recording device in Court B had not been functioning for the entire first 15 minutes of magistrate Flippie Hendrick's judgement, even more panic ensued with people blaming the muti for the defect.

When the device was fixed, the magistrate had to start at the beginning.

Based on the arguments from the state and the defence, Hendricks denied bail, saying Tyololo failed to provide sufficient evidence to satisfy the court that his release would be in the interest of justice.

Immediately after the ruling, a woman in the crowd broke into song with "Unabantu bakho Thixo" (You never forsake your people, God).

ANC branch secretary Moyisi Magalela said the party is elated that bail has been denied. "We are confident that this will set a precedent for the bail hearing of the other three murder accused."

Referring to Molosi's murder as gruesome and senseless, he said, "We congratulate the NPA for being resolute in opposing bail and we extend our gratitude on behalf of the family of our late comrade, Ta Freeze and the ANC."

The matter was postponed to 30 November for a regional court date to be set.

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