Alleged rapist and murderer abandons bail application

The man may not be named, because the charges include a sexual offence, until he pleads to the charges when his trial commences in  the Western Cape High Court.

He appeared before magistrate Sean Leah, who remanded him to March 24, at the request of State advocate Mornay Julius, of the local Directorate for Public Prosecutions.

The man, 30, faces one count of rape, two of robbery with aggravating circumstances and one of murder.

He is alleged to have raped and robbed the same woman at knifepoint in the Cape Town suburb of Acacia Park in February, 2013, when he took R100 cash from her as well as her cellphone.
   

In May last year, he is alleged to have used a firearm to rob Pamela Tshisba, a student, of her handbag containing her cellphone,  train ticket and student pass, at Century City.

The murder charge relates to the death of Nontemba Ntonto in December last year, when he is alleged to have beaten her about the  head with a rock. Her body was found in the Century City bushes.

During the proceedings, defence attorney Christof Januarie said his client had abandoned his intended bail application, on the basis of further developments of which the State had just informed the defence.

The prosecutor said additional charges were being investigated, and that this would take some time.

The defence requested the man be moved from the Cape Town Central Police Station holding cells to Goodwood Prison.