Another delay in cops' bail bid

A bail application by nine policemen allegedly implicated in the death of a Daveyton taxi driver was postponed by the Benoni Magistrate's Court on Tuesday.

  

This was at the request of lawyers for the accused, who said a third member had been added to their team.

   

The new lawyer, Marius van Wyngaardt, said he needed further consultations with the accused. He joins Patrick Sithole and Benny Ndaba.

   

The matter was postponed to August 13.

   

Some relatives of the policemen murmured in disagreement at the outcome of the proceedings. 

   

Earlier, the group of relatives was called out of the court for a brief meeting with the lawyers.

   

The nine officers were re-applying for bail, after it was denied in March. 

   

Their lawyers claimed to have new evidence which they believed would convince the court to overturn its decision not to grant them bail. 

   

Mozambican taxi driver Mido Macia was filmed being tied to the back of a police van and dragged along a street in Daveyton on February 26. Police had confronted him because his taxi was apparently blocking traffic.

   

A scuffle ensued and he was taken to the local police station, where he was found dead in the holding cells several hours later.

   

The accused, Thamsanqa Ncema, Linda Sololo, Meshack Malele, Motome Walter Ramatlou, Percy Mnisi, Bongumusa Mdluli, Sipho Ngobeni, Lungisa Ewababa, and Bongani Kolisi were arrested shortly afterwards. 

   

As in previous appearances, they were well-dressed when they entered the courtroom. 

   

The men whispered among themselves as they sat in the dock. 

 

Court officials had arranged for their families to sit on the bench directly behind them in the gallery.

   

The relatives huddled into the first bench, and a few took up seats in the second row. The second row had been reserved for Macia's relatives, but none were present in court. 

  

Jose Nascimento, who has a watching brief on behalf of Macia's family and the Mozambican government, and Badanisile Ngwenya were the only recognisable people representing the Macia family. 

   

Macia had rented a room outside Ngwenya's house in Daveyton.

   

After the proceedings, Ngwenya told reporters Macia's family (in Mozambique) were slowly trying to come to terms with what had happened.

   

She said she was in no rush to have the case wrapped up.   "I don't want it to be rushed, so justice can be properly served," she said.

   

Public attention had dwindled since the case first made headlines at the end of February. 

   

At the start of the hearings several months ago, Daveyton residents gathered outside the court building and protested against the officers receiving bail.

   

In recent weeks, none of the protesters have returned to court. However, family members of the policemen have continued to pack the courtroom.

   

-Sapa