PHOTO: SUPPLIED
The man accused of gunning down 18 people in Lusikisiki has abandoned his bail application.
Siphosoxolo Myekethe’s brief appearance in the Lusikisiki Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday was marked by heightened security, as heavily armed police officers escorted him in and out of the courtroom.
The 45-year-old old accused, whose face remained covered throughout the proceedings, is charged with multiple counts of murder and the possession of an unlicensed firearm, an AK47 assault rifle.
Outside the court, grieving families and community members gathered in protest, demanding justice and opposing any potential release on bail.
The National Prosecuting Authority’s (NPA) spokesperson, Luxolo Tyali, stated that even if the accused reapplies for bail, the state would strongly oppose it, citing the severity of the case.
A statement from the NPA revealed that Myekethe had been released on parole in May 2023, after serving 21 years of a life sentence for murder and escape from lawful custody. Now, he stands accused of one of the most shocking mass killings in recent memory.
The 18 people were gunned down in two homesteads on the same street in Ngobozana village on 28 September 2024, with 12 women and one man killed in one location, and three women and one man at the second house.
It is reported that the victims were murdered while preparing for umombulo, a tradition in IsiXhosa culture that marks the end of a mourning period.
Myekethe was arrested at his home in Mthimde Location, Mamfengwini Area, in the district of Lusikisiki on Monday, 7 October.
While the motive for the massacre remains unclear, police have indicated that more suspects are still at large, and ballistic tests are underway to further the investigation.
The case was postponed to 26 November 2024.
