The five men arrested in connection with the mob killing of five suspected criminals in Diepsloot will be spending Christmas behind bars.
The Randburg Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday postponed their bail hearing to the 28th of December.
The court initially wanted to move the case to early next year but defence lawyers objected indicating that the accused had been in detention for long and hoped to be back with their families for Christmas.
Defence lawyer Jimmy Baloyi said it was disappointing that the men won’t be released for Christmas.
“We are very disappointed. We were hoping that today judgment will be delivered and we’ll be able to take our people home. Unfortunately given the circumstances that the court put forward at this there isn’t enough time for the court to deliver judgment. I was hoping that Friday at the latest we would get judgment but then the matter was postponed. At some point the court wanted to postpone it to January so the 28th of December is better. Unfortunately that’s how the justice system in South Africa works,” said Baloyi after the adjournment.
Residents also expressed disappointment at the latest postponement bemoaning the fact that their fellow residents are to spend Christmas behind bars. Community leaders had to calm down family members.
“We believe that they will get bail. We’ve been comforting them that let’s hope that on the 28th indeed on the new year they will eat that new year with their husbands. You would understand that this is Christmas,December time time where each one of us would like to be with their families but unfortunately for them they’ll not spend Christmas with their husbands. We are comforting them to say they must hold on we are hoping that on the 28th they can go home with their husbands,” said Loyiso Toyiya.
In its opposition of the men’s bail bid the prosecution relies on the evidence of investigating officer Albert Jam Jam who testified that setting the men free may disturb public peace and that keeping them in custody may even be to their own advantage as their safety, according to him, may not be guaranteed if they were to be released.
The defence countered his claims pointing at the packed gallery that the community has been vocal in its support of the five men.