The community of Santa Zone 2, Galeshewe, marched to the local magistrate’s court to demand that an 18-year-old murder accused not be granted bail.
THE COMMUNITY of Santa Zone 2, Galeshewe, marched to the magistrate’s court earlier this week to demand that an 18-year-old murder accused not be granted bail.
Jemaine Long, 18, is accused of fatally stabbing a 16-year-old teenager on April 29.
Community members held up placards with messages that opposed bail for the accused. The case was postponed to Monday for a formal bail application.
Police spokesperson Sergeant Timothy Sam said preliminary investigations indicate that the accused was involved in an argument with a woman in his street prior to the incident.
“He ran into his house to fetch a knife and when he returned he allegedly stabbed a bystander who was standing in front of his home,” said Sam.
The accused was arrested the same day after community members apparently torched his house.
Sam confirmed that the accused is also facing a charge of assault with the intent to cause grievous bodily harm (GBH). This is unrelated to the murder charge.
The distraught father of the deceased, Dingaan Jacob Ngceza, said he was inside his house while the deceased was playing with a two-year-old toddler outside.
He explained that they stay in the same street as the accused.
He said he had to hire a private vehicle for his son to be transported to the hospital because the ambulance never arrived after the incident.
His son died on his way to the hospital.
Community members set the house of the accused alight before the police arrived and arrested him.
According to testimony in court, the accused was attacked by an angry mob and had to be rushed to Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe Hospital for medical treatment.
Community members said that they were angry because the police failed to protect the deceased but, instead, saved the life of the accused.
“The police could not arrive on time to save the life of an innocent person, but came to the rescue of an (alleged) criminal. They were very unprofessional,” they claimed.
“That is exactly how our law operates, protecting criminals and murderers.”
The father of the deceased described his son as a “quiet boy, who was in Grade 9, who hardly went out to play in the street”.
He said the family is going through a difficult time in trying to deal with what happened.
