Joy after KZN cop charged with wife’s murder denied bail

Durban — There was jubilation outside Camperdown Magistrate’s Court after the police officer accused of his wife’s murder was denied bail.

After a month-long bail hearing, Sergeant Mthokozisi Nene, a court orderly at Hammarsdale Magistrate’s Court, was denied bail on Wednesday.

This brought joy to a group of activists fighting gender-based violence (GBV), who had been consistently attending the hearing.

Addressing the anti-gender-based violence activists after the ruling, ward 3 councillor Malombo Nxumalo said Inchanga residents were relieved by the court decision.

He hoped the suspect would be found guilty and be given a harsh sentence. The councillor said in his area there were 130 GBV-related cases.

Inchanga councillor Malombo Nxumalo (with his hands wide open) briefing GBV activists on the outcome of the bail hearing outside Camperdown magistrate’s court. Photo by Willem Phungula

Delivering her ruling, magistrate Nombulelo Nkosi dismissed almost all of the defence’s arguments thereby accepting the State’s evidence.

During the bail hearing two weeks ago, the State argued that if Nene was released he would influence or intimidate witnesses since they were known to him.

The State’s evidence, which was led by investigating officer Captain Bathobile Mdladla, revealed that the list of witnesses included the suspect’s 12-year-old daughter and mother-in-law, whom the court agreed the suspect could indeed be a danger to.

There was joy among the gender-based violence activists after police officer sergeant Mthokozi Nene was denied bail. Photo by Willem Phungula

The court also agreed that the suspect’s life would be in danger if he was to be granted bail. The magistrate said this view was supported by the fact that the residents had torched the suspect’s house and had been consistently protesting outside pleading with the court not to grant him bail.

The court emphasised that since the murder weapon had not been recovered it was highly probable it would be concealed or destroyed if the suspect was released. The magistrate said none of the arguments put forward by the defence constituted exceptional circumstances. Nene, who faces a charge of murdering his teacher wife Thobeka Msomi-Nene, was arrested in June after allegedly murdering her with a pump gun at their home in Inchanga. The case was postponed to September 30 for further investigation.

Daily News