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A second young man has appeared in court for the alleged hit murder of Nelson Mandela Bay ward councillor Sicelo Mleve.
Ahlumile Stofile, 21, appeared in the New Brighton Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday following his arrest in Soweto-on-Sea on Tuesday.
The case was postponed for him to appear alongside his co-accused, Lufunolwethu “Star” Nyodi, 20, of Kwazakhele, on Friday.
Nyodi made his first court appearance on Friday last week.
Both remain in custody pending a formal bail application.
Mleve, 45, was shot dead during a voter registration debriefing meeting with residents at his offices in Zondeki Street in Zwide at about 6.50pm on June 20.
There were about 10 other people present at the time of the shooting.
According to the charge sheet, the 10 complainants were “unlawfully and intentionally deprived of their freedom of movement” when they were threatened with a firearm and tied up with cable ties.
They were then forced to remain in the ward councillor’s office against their will.
Mleve, who had a security team assigned to him by the municipality following previous threats on his life, died at the scene.
His security detail was reportedly off duty at the time of the incident.
Taking briefly to the dock on Wednesday, Stofile, dressed in a brown hooded top and blue tracksuit pants, appeared calm.
After his matter was postponed, he limped down to the holding cells.
This prompted magistrate Fundile Matoto to call him back to the dock to explain his limping.
Stofile said he was assaulted by police officers during his arrest.
Matoto then signed a document for Stofile to be transferred to the hospital section at St Albans Prison.
However, the decision to transfer him was short-lived.
The paperwork had barely been completed when Matoto indicated in court that a warrant officer had just revealed that Stofile did not sustain his injuries during his arrest but that they were old injuries.
The magistrate then reversed his decision to refer him for treatment.
The men face charges of murder, robbery with aggravating circumstances, and the illegal possession of firearms and ammunition.
In addition, they face assault charges relating to the 10 complainants.
Before the suspects fled the scene, they had allegedly stolen several cellphones “taken through force and violence”.
Last week, provincial police commissioner Lieutenant-General Vuyisile Ncata said though Mleve had been with other people inside his office at the time of his death, it was evident that he was the intended target of the gunmen.
He said a political motive for the killing had therefore not been ruled out.
Mleve, a Ward 27 councillor, was also the ANC chief whip for economic development, tourism and agriculture.
The state has already indicated that it will oppose bail.
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