- The appearance of only one of the 14 suspects linked to the killing of eight young men in Zandspruit left a magistrate fuming.
- Thirteen suspects failed to appear for their bail application in the Roodepoort Magistrate's Court.
- Magistrate Ruby Mathys ordered officials to ensure that the suspects are brought to court on Wednesday.
A magistrate was left fuming after only one of the 14 suspects linked to the Zandspruit mob justice case appeared in court.
The accused were supposed to appear in the Roodepoort Magistrate's Court on Tuesday.
However, Peter Mufamadi appeared alone before Magistrate Ruby Mathys, who was left fuming by the absence of his co-accused.
Mufamadi appeared briefly after being brought from the Roodepoort police station where he was kept.
Thirteen other suspects are being kept at police stations, Krugersdorp Prison and Johannesburg Prison.
The 13 suspects could not appear because of "logistical errors" at these facilities.
Their absence forced Mathys to postpone the case to Wednesday.
#ZandspruitMobJustice The number of people who were killed in a mob attack in Zandspruit has escalated to six. Two families have confirmed to @News24 that their loved ones died separately in hospital @TeamNews24 pic.twitter.com/mK11oGhC2F
— ntwaagae Seleka (@ntwaagae) May 20, 2021
"The other accused are not here in court. There is only one person appearing today. I am postponing this case in absentia of 13 other accused. I am ordering that the accused be brought to court tomorrow. Concerted efforts must be made by the prosecutor, police officers and correctional services to bring the accused to court tomorrow.
"The accused must be brought here first before everybody else. We don't want to lose more time," Mathys said.
The accused are linked to the brutal killing of eight young men in Zandspruit on 17 May.
In the early hours of that fateful day, a mob of about 200 people went door to door, waking up the victims from their homes.
The victims were frog marched to a soccer field with their hands bound, where they were severely assaulted with an assortment of weapons before being doused with petrol and paraffin and torched.
Four died on the scene, and four others later succumbed to their injuries in hospital.
One young man survived the ordeal.
#ZandspruitMobJustice When forensic pathologists attempted to remove one of the four bodies, a tyre that was around his neck burst into flames. Four young men have been brutally killed by a mob in Zandspruit @TeamNews24 pic.twitter.com/oti5yPoHYU
— ntwaagae Seleka (@ntwaagae) May 19, 2021
Following the horrific incident, police arrested Tebogo Mabula, Mziwamangware Witbooi, Njabulo Zwane, Phakisa Tsengiwe, Maxwell Mpofu and Klaas Masemola.
Eight other suspects who are yet to be identified were later arrested following promises by Minister Bheki Cele.
The 14 suspects face charges of murder, kidnapping, attempted murder.
The bail application is expected to resume on Wednesday.