Gauteng Traffic Cop Denied Bail, Accused of Wife’s Murder

• A Gauteng provincial traffic officer has been denied bail in the Mamelodi Magistrates Court
• Bennett Hlongwane is facing the chargers of premeditated murder for killing his wife, Tili Desire Ngobene
• The accused is also charged with pointing a firearm, breaking with the intent to murder

Bennett Hlongwane, a 55-year-old man, is being accused of allegedly breaking into the house of the deceased on the first of April 2024 around 5:00 a.m.

The offender forced open the deceased’s room door and shot her multiple times in front of their two children, aged five and three, as reported by Power98.7.

Bail Judgment

Lumka Mahanjana, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesperson in Gauteng, reported that after the deceased’s brother heard gunshots, he emerged from his room and found Hlongwane aiming a gun at him.

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During the bail judgment, Magistrate Malombo remarked that he believed the state had a strong case against the accused and that his daughter being affected by her father’s jailing isn’t cause for exceptional circumstances. He said that giving himself up was the correct thing to do and, therefore, was not considered exceptional.

Hlongwane surrendered himself to authorities on the 1st of April and has been in custody since then. He appealed for bail, arguing that after committing the offence, he had the opportunity to run away but chose to turn himself in. Additionally, he has stated that he needs to care for his 15-year-old daughter and fears that his residence will be vandalized by criminals if left unattended.

@Proudly012 had this to say on X, responding to Hlongwane’s statement:

"He mercilessly killed her and traumatised the children and he want to talk about his concern regarding safety of his house? The wellbeing of a 15-year-old? Courts are listening to rubbish."

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State prosecutor Tshilidzi Mugeri opposed the bail application, arguing that the accused personally knows the witnesses. As a result, granting bail could potentially endanger their lives.

"The fact that the fact that the accused handed himself over to the police isn't exceptional either; rather, it was the right thing to do. Therefore, bail was denied. The matter has been postponed to September 18 2024, for further investigations,"

Bafana Mahungela officially charged

As reported earlier by Briefly News, a suspect in the murder of Johannesburg-based teacher Kirsten Kluyts appeared in a Johannesburg court. Bafana Mahungela faces charges of murder, kidnapping, sexual assault, aggravated robbery, and obstruction of justice.

Oletta had this to say on social media as South Africans call for harsher sentences: “The poor parents. You bring a child to this world and make sacrifices to raise, feed, clothe, and guide him to be a dutiful, disciplined and respectful child. Sadly, no parent can teach a child a personality. He develops his own.”

Source: Briefly News