Durban Court Releases Accused Serial Killer After Granting Wrong Man Bail

• A man accused of multiple murders was released from custody under the pretext of appearing for a lesser crime
• Vukani Khumalo managed to dupe officials by swopping places with another accused appearing in the same court
• Police later apprehended Khumalo after a manhunt, and he was set to appear again, this time facing additional charges

DURBAN — A dramatic search ensued for a multiple-murder accused who slipped under the nose of law enforcement when the Durban Magistrate's Court granted him bail.

Wednesday's fiasco on 18 December 2024 ended when Vukani Khumalo was apprehended, having earlier appeared under the guise of another case.

Multiple murder accused wrongfully bailed

The brief taste of freedom for the man accused of at least eight murders — seven in Inanda and one in Durban — came after he swopped places with another accused, Khulekani.

The men share the same surname but are not related. The latter was due in court for motor vehicle theft.

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Khumalo, 25, deviously stood for the lesser crime instead, and the court thereafter granted him R3000 bail.

His mother reportedly paid the amount, allowing for his release on warning.

Later, when the time came for his actual case to be heard, Khulekani raised the alarm, and the court uncovered the error.

The murder accused had slipped from under their nose.

Greenwood Park police re-arrested Khumalo the same day following a search. According to reports, he had been hiding out in KwaMashu, Durban.

When this story was published, Khumalo was expected to appear in court, facing additional charges of escaping from lawful custody.

Swartruggens jail escapees re-arrested

In related news, Briefly News reported that two of three Swartruggens jail escapees were recaptured after a manhunt.

They had disappeared from lawful custody on Sunday, 8 December. Initially, four detainees had escaped after forcing their exit through the cell's roof.

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Police later traced and re-arrested one of the men as he tried to hike along the N4 at Swartruggens Plaza the same day. He appeared on 11 December in the Swartruggens Magistrate's Court on an escape from lawful custody charge.

Source: Briefly News