The murder case of Eskom employee Thembisile Yende was on Monday postponed by the Springs Magistrate’s Court for further investigation.
David Ngwenya, 43, a technician at Eskom, allegedly murdered Yende after he suspected that she was set to blow the whistle on a copper theft syndicate. He is facing charges of premeditated murder.
Ngwenya terminated his mandate with his previous legal representative and was being represented by a new council on Monday.
The matter was postponed to September 18 for further investigation.
Yende’s body was discovered in the storeroom at the Pietersboth substation after she went missing on May 17. This was after her office and the substation was searched by officers and nothing was found.
Ngwenya was arrested on June 15 and was denied bail at his previous appearance on June 29, after he failed to show exceptional circumstances why he should be released on bail.
During the bail application, the court heard that the murder scene looked like it was “staged” to make it look like Yende had committed suicide.
Ngwenya stands accused of injecting Yende with a substance, before striking her head with a crowbar and subsequently suffocating and strangling her after a struggle.
Yende’s older brother, Jabu Yende, said that his sister had been the pillar of his family and that her death had affected them, as well as their community.
Following court proceedings, Nester Yende, the mother of Thembisile, said she felt lost because an Eskom employee had allegedly kidnapped her child and her child’s body had been found decomposed on their premises.
“Is Eskom helping me or not? The masterminds must show themselves and that will set me free.”
– African News Agency (ANA)
