Update
KNYSNA NEWS - Four more people have been arrested in connection with the murder of councillor Victor Molosi, the SAPS confirmed, saying that one of the suspects is a Knysna councillor.
They were detained during the early hours of Wednesday 15 August, which brings the total number of arrests to five.
Last week, Knysna Taxi Forum secretary Mandla Tyololo appeared briefly in the Knysna Magistrate's Court. He applied for bail on Wednesday this week, which resulted in a mass march by residents of Nekkies and Concordia who protested against the application at the courthouse.
State prosecutor Phumlani Gqalangile, while addressing people who filled court A to capacity, said the matter would not be proceeding in court for two reasons: "His lawyer is not ready and the case will be assigned to a prosecutor who deals with organised crimes and we need to organise a date with him," said Gqalangile.
Tyololo's bail application was postponed and expected to take place today (Thursday 16 August).
The names of the four other suspects have not yet been released by police.
Hundreds of protesters marched to Knysna Magistrate's Court to protest against bail of Mandla Tyololo who was arrested in the murder case of Knysna councillor Victor Molosi. Photo: Nwabisa Pondoyi
'Tireless efforts' lead to arrests
A task team, comprising members from the provincial organised crime unit, Eden cluster detectives, Knysna detectives and Eden cluster crime intelligence, was established to investigate this case.
"Their tireless efforts paid dividends when the investigation took them to Cape Town where two suspects (both 37 years old) were arrested yesterday (Tuesday)," read a police statement. "Simultaneously, further investigation into this matter led to the arrests of another two suspects, aged 58 and 42 years old, at their residence in Knysna. Thus bringing the total arrests for the day to four and standing on five for the entire investigation," said provincial police spokesperson Captain Malcolm Pojie.
He confirmed that the 58-year-old suspect is a serving councillor in Knysna.
"These suspects, aged between 37 and 58, will be charged for conspiracy to commit murder as well as murder and are scheduled to appear in the Knysna Magistrate's court on Thursday 16 August 2018."
A list of PR and ward councillors, published on the Independent Electoral Commission website in June 2016, shows that the only Knysna councillor who would be 58 years old at present, born in 1960, is Velile Waxa, who last week told KPH that he was "definitely not involved in the murder". He said at the time that the police "should be left to do their work".
Confirmation of his age as the only one matching that of the police report further fuels widespread speculation that Waxa is the councillor that has been arrested in connection with Molosi's murder.
Hundreds of protesters marched to Knysna Magistrate's Court to protest against bail of Mandla Tyololo who was arrested in the murder case of Knysna councillor Victor Molosi. Photo: Nwabisa Pondoyi
USE FOR PRINT:Hundreds of protesters marched to Knysna Magistrate's Court to protest against bail of Mandla Tyololo who was arrested in the murder case of Knysna councillor Victor Molosi. Photo: Nwabisa Pondoyi
Read a related article: Councillor arrested for Molosi's murder
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