Thulisile Mapongwana
Sixteen suspects appeared in the East London Magistrate’s Court on Thursday in connection with the murder of three men from Nxarhuni.
The case stems from the murder of Vuyiswa “Molly” Jikajika, who was killed during a house robbery last Tuesday.
Jikajika, a beloved member of the East London community, had worked as a waitress at Beach Break Café at Nahoon Beach for the past 28 years.
Outside the courthouse, angry community members protested, demanding the suspects be granted free bail, with a petition signed by residents.
Community member Makaziwe Tsheme claims police failed to arrest those responsible for Molly’s death and instead targeted individuals accused of holding the men hostage on Monday after they allegedly confessed to the murder.
Tsheme said 15 community members were arrested on Monday following the murders of the three men, while one older woman, who they allege is innocent, was arrested on Thursday at her home.
“One of our members was wrongfully arrested in her home, she was not even read her rights,” Tsheme said. “We are here to ask, plead, and demand that our people be released because uMama uJikajika has not found justice.”
Tsheme expressed dissatisfaction with police: “The police have not done their part, but they are only following the case of community members who decided to stand up for themselves and find the perpetrators. They were only fighting for justice because the police delayed.”
She added that a week had passed since Jikajika’s murder, and they had heard nothing from the police. “They didn’t come until a week later.”
Solomzi Ntenteni, from Nompumelelo, where Molly stayed before moving, said he was calling for either the release of the 16 suspects or the arrest of the entire community, as the detainees were not acting alone.
“If police want to arrest the culprits, they must go door to door and arrest the whole community, not just 16 people. We want them to be released because they were not alone; it was the whole community.”
Meanwhile, another neighbour of Molly’s, Mhlangovuyo Sityebi, said that on the day of her murder, his wife called him while he was at work, saying a woman had been accosted in her house.
“She later called to say she was rushed to the hospital, and she had passed on,” Sityebi explained.
Sityebi said the murders of the three men were the result of an angry community. “What happened was a result of an angry community standing up against crime – they are being robbed and mugged by amaphara (vagrants).”
He said the community followed a lead to the men and asked them about the murder, where they allegedly confessed that four of them had committed the crime.
“They were hit and killed because of their actions. Community members are angry,” Sityebi added. “If they arrest the 16 people, they must arrest us all – because we all played a part in delivering mob justice.”
Following their appearance, the case against the 16 suspects was withdrawn and postponed until further notice, with no next appearance date set.
Ntenteni expressed satisfaction with the outcome. “These people are innocent; they did the job of the police in looking for the murderers of an innocent person,” he said.
Ntenteni added that the fourth suspect in Jikajika’s murder is still yet to be arrested.
