Sugar cane case in camera
10/10/2007 15:32  - (SA)  

Want to know more? Answerit can help.

Killer's 'accomplice' in court Cops release sugar cane suspect 10th body in sugar cane field

Durban - Magistrate Giel van Aarde granted on Wednesday the State's application in the Umzinto Magistrate's Court for the case against three people accused of murdering and abducting 10 women to be heard in camera.

The three - two men and a woman - were due to make an application for bail on Wednesday.

However, during the State's application for in-camera proceedings, state prosecutor Advocate Noxolo Tokwana said the state intended withdrawing charges against accused number two - Zandisile Bhadla Somanikiniki, 28, who resides in the Majola, Port St Johns area.

Somanikiniki appeared in the Eastern Cape's Libode Magistrate's Court on Monday on charges of double murder, murder and armed robbery.

Superintendent Leonie Verster, head of the Eastern Cape province's Organised Crime Unit said on Tuesday that Somanikiniki appeared at the Libode court for armed robbery and the murder of Inspector Sithembiso Bavuma at the Libode police station on September 1 2006.

The accused also appeared on a double murder charge for allegedly killing a man and his girlfriend in August 2006. Verster said the case was remanded until November 7.

Somanikiniki is also wanted for two more cases in the Eastern Cape, three cases in Welkom and a few cases in Rustenberg.

In the two Eastern Cape cases, Verster said the man was implicated in an armed robbery that took place in August 2006 and a murder warrant had been executed for him in a fourth case that took place in 2004.

"For the 2004 case, he will appear at the Umtata Supreme Court on 22 October," she said.

She was unable to give Sapa further details on that case.

Somanikiniki has also been linked as an accomplice in the murder of 10 women found in the sugar cane fields surrounding Umzinto's Shayamoya township since the beginning of September.

A group of 150 people staged a protest outside the Umzinto Magistrate's Court. Some had banners calling for the death penalty while another read "You have robbed a mother of her child".

There was a heavy police presence around the court with a water canon parked at the entrance of the premises.

Granting the application, Van Aarde warned the state that he would not again agree to any future request for in-camera proceedings.

What is this? Yahoo Digg Del.icio.us Facebook Brought to you by OUTsurance Car Insurance
	News24 Headlines on your Facebook profile		News24 on mobile