The Knysna man accused of murdering his girlfriend and bundling her lifeless body into a pit latrine has abandoned his bid for bail.
Ntombizodwa Mei’s boyfriend, Sandiso Faku, 36, who had temporarily joined the search for her in the Nekkies informal settlement over the Freedom Day long weekend, made his second court appearance on Friday.
Faku was arrested on Freedom Day, just moments after a family friend discovered the body of the mother of three.
According to the state, he was out on parole for a robbery case at the time of the incident.
When appearing briefly in the Knysna magistrate’s court on Friday, the town’s residents and members of various political parties gathered outside protesting against his release.
After Faku abandoned his bail bid, the case was postponed for further investigation and will resume on May 28.
Earlier on Friday morning, the Knysna community were joined by members of the ANC and EFF as they marched through the town’s streets singing and waving placards in protest against his bail bid.
“We do not want him back in our community,” the march’s convener and ANC Women’s League member Nomfundo Ndunana said.
“The justice system let him out to the community before and he was welcomed because we assumed he was a rehabilitated man.
“While on parole he [allegedly] committed the most gruesome murder.”
She said the community was fed up with gender-based violence, which prompted them to take a stand on Friday.
“We want the police and court to work together to put this man behind bars for a long time.
“This is our wish for all other cases including the ones which have become cold cases due to police negligence and lack of evidence, we want all cases to be taken seriously and to return to court,” she said.
EFF MP Mathibe Rebecca Mohlala said they wanted to show support for Mei’s family and ensure GBV incidents received priority by police and courts.
“We want justice to prevail,” she said.
“We are calling for people to come forward when they hear such cases so that we can push the government to work.
“We are here to push these parties running the government now to hold the officials accountable.”
The Herald
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