01 Mar 2015

Principal Magistrate Janet Phosa has denied bail to four of the seven accused in a cash loan robbery incident in Kanye. 

A police officer and a suspect died in a fire exchange that ensued before the suspects were arrested four weeks ago. The four who were denied bail were Evans Mhiwatiwa, 43, from Zimbabwe, Malibongwe Moyo also from Zimbabwe, Gaofenngwe Seitiso, 34, of Kanye and Thuso Tangomane, 28, from Molepolole.

They applied for bail on February 24. Moyo was shot in the leg during the shoot-out with the police and was admitted at Princess Marina Hospital. He failed to appear before court twice reportedly due to ill health. But after been released from the hospital, he was remanded in custody.

The four and others who were not before court allegedly robbed a cash loan company at gun point in Kanye and are facing five counts including armed robbery, murder, attempted murder, unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition.

Making a ruling on bail out application, Magistrate Phosa said the suspects had committed a serious offence that called for more time to look at both the submissions of the prosecution and those of defence.  

Magistrate Phosa further said defence submissions were not convincing at all, and there was no guarantee that if the suspects were given bail they would comply with the conditions.

She said people were still aggrieved by the shooting of a police officer by the suspects therefore they should be remanded in custody for their safety. She concluded that the suspects be remanded in custody because they might interfere with investigations which were still on-going, adding that the other two suspects who are believed to be Zimbabwean nationals were still at large.

Mhiwatiwa is represented by Noah Rutherford, while Sesupo Masaka represents Seitiso together with the fourth accused Moyo. They will appear again before court on March 13. ENDS