• Hlengiwe Msimango, 29, was shot and killed by her husband, Mosa Ntsibande, who allegedly thought she was an intruder.
• Ntsibande appeared briefly in the Kempton Park Magistrate's Court and abandoned his bail application.
• The accused will return to court on 2 October as investigations continue.

Mosa Ntsibande, the alleged killer of his wife, 29-year-old Hlengiwe Msimango, has abandoned his bail application.

Ntsibande, 33, appeared in the Kempton Park Magistrate's Court via the audio-visual remand (AVR) system before Magistrate Veena Krishna on Tuesday morning.

He allegedly shot and killed Msimango at their Norkem Park home on 3 August, claiming he thought she was an intruder in their bedroom.

Msimango was buried in Claremont, KwaZulu-Natal, last weekend.

According to National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Phindi Mjonondwane, the matter has been postponed to 2 October for further investigation.

Among those who attended the proceedings was Vanessa da Silva Faria, an attorney at Ulrich Roux and Associates, the law firm appointed to act on behalf of Msimango's family. 

Da Silva Faria confirmed that the matter was postponed for further investigation after Ntsibande abandoned his bail application.

She said as representatives of the family they were instructed to also oppose bail, and assisted the investigating officer handling the matter with information that would ensure Ntsibande remained behind bars.

This included a petition signed by members of the public. The petition would have played a role in their case for why bail should not be granted.

Following Tuesday's proceedings, Da Silva Faria briefed the family members, including Msimango's mother, Thandi Nkumane, on what transpired and the reasons why they were not allowed into the courtroom.

Presence felt

She explained that Covid-19 regulations barred people from attending court hearings.

She said: 

The lawyer said it was also important to note that the emotions of the public and the family were important for a magistrate to ensure justice is served.

"I can assure you that although the family was not present and although the members of the public were not present, their presence were in fact very much felt in court. Everyone was aware of the protests [outside the court] and the fact that they were there and that everyone is fighting for justice," Da Silva Faria said.

Earlier on Tuesday, News24 reported that Msimango's uncle had described femicide as a scourge reigning over many relationships in South Africa.

According to Msimango's uncle, Mthokozisi Nkumane, Ntsibande had told the family he was awoken by Msimango, who said there were people in their yard.

"He went out and, when he returned, he claimed that he saw a shadow in their bedroom and shot at it, hitting our daughter in her upper body. What is shocking is that, when we went inside their house, there were no bullet holes in the curtain and Msimango's body was lying far from the curtain.

"Her body, with two bullet wounds in the chest, was lying near the bedroom door. The incident took place in the presence of their three young children," Nkumane said.

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