'Prima facie' case against Soweto tavern shooting suspects - NPA
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) says it has circumstantial evidence against the five suspects linked to the Soweto tavern shooting.
The suspects appeared before the Orlando Magistrate's Court on Monday morning.
They are facing 19 counts of murder, multiple counts of attempted murder, robbery, and defeating the ends of justice.
Sixteen patrons were killed at the bar after a group of assailants opened fire on the crowd in July this year.
Gauteng NPA spokesperson Phindi Mjonondwane says investigators have linked three murder cases from Kliptown to the 16 from Orlando.
"There is a prima facie case against all five suspects, in terms of the strength of the state case that will be put to the test during the trial stage and the court will be able to tell in due course. Two of the accused as South Africans and three others are Basotho.
"The process of extraditing outstanding suspects in Lesotho has already begun. The investigating officers are working closely with an advocate at the office of the director of public prosecutions here at Gauteng local division, that process is underway."
Mjonondwane says a preliminary investigation suggests that the shooting is as a result of turf wars at abandoned mines, rubbish dumpss, and cable theft.
The case has been postponed to 18 October pending an identity parade of the suspects.
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