Bail Postponed for Eastern Cape Man, 34, and 2 Co-Accused in Teen Ex-Lover Murder Case

Bail Postponed for Eastern Cape Man, 34, and 2 Co-Accused in Teen Ex-Lover Murder Case

  • The Dikeni Magistrate's Court has postponed the bail application of three people accused of murdering Alice teen, Kungawo Nyweba
  • Nyweba's burnt body was found in an open field five days after going missing following her alleged abduction from her home
  • National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesperson Luxolo Tyali told Briefly News it was the trio's third court appearance
Court postpones bail for man, two others for teen ex-lover's alleged murder
The Dikeni Magistrate's Court postponed bail for three suspects in Kungawo Nyweba's alleged murder. Images: OurNews and KungawoNyweba
Source: Facebook

ALICE — The bail application of the ex-boyfriend of a murdered Alice teen, whose burnt remains were found in an open field in Makhanda earlier this month, and his two co-accused has been postponed.

Xolani Gotyi, Ayamnkela Zonke and Andiswa Khwethana appeared in the Dikeni Magistrate's Court in Dikeni (formerly Alice) on Wednesday, 31 July 2024.

Alice teen murder case bail postponed

The trio face murder, kidnapping and defeating the ends of justice charges for their alleged involvement in the murder of Kungawo Nyweba.

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Nyweba, 19, was found dead in an open field at the Ebakhwetheni area in Joza township, Makhanda, on Wednesday, 10 July, after she was allegedly kidnapped from her home in Alice on 5 July.

Briefly News reported that her family reported her missing two days later.

Eastern Cape provincial police spokesperson Lt-Col Siphokazi Mawisa said law enforcement received information pointing to her possible abduction by two men, identified as her ex-boyfriend and his friend.

"According to the information, four suspects were involved in Kungawo's kidnapping and murder. Two suspects were arrested at about 19:00 the same day at their homes at Golf Course, Alice," said Mawisa.

Police arrested Gotyi at about 11:30pm the next day, Thursday, 11 July, and recovered the body of a fourth suspect in Indwe, about 40km southeast of Dordrecht and 34 km northwest of Cala.

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Case remanded until 19 August

National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesperson Luxolo Tyali told Briefly News the trio were making their third court appearance.

He said the state was opposed to the trio's release on bail.

"The state is opposing bail because the accused are a flight risk, especially Gotyi, and also due the premeditated nature of the crime falls under Schedule 6.
"During the proceedings, Khwethana terminated her private attorney's mandate and opted for Legal Aid representation. The bail application was postponed to allow the new attorney to consult with the accussed."

The matter was remanded to 19 August.

Eastern Cape Mother in court for alleged murder

In related news, Briefly News reported that an Eastern Cape mother appeared in the Pedi Magistrate's Court on a charge of murder over the alleged death of her two-year-old child.

Police had responded to complaints of a 41-year-old woman assaulting a two-year-old boy and setting him on fire in Crossroad village outside Peddie.

Source: Briefly News

Authors:
Tshepiso Mametela avatar

Tshepiso Mametela (Head of Current Affairs Desk) Tshepiso Mametela is a seasoned journalist with eight years of experience writing for online and print publications. He is the current affairs Head of Desk at Briefly News. He was a news reporter for The Herald, a senior sports contributor at Opera News SA, and a reporter for Caxton Local Media’s Bedfordview and Edenvale News and Joburg East Express community titles. He has attended media workshops, including the crime and court reporting one by the Wits Justice Project and Wits Centre for Journalism in 2024. Email: tshepiso.mametela@briefly.co.za