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Murder accused traffic officer case postponed for further investigations
The Mamelodi Magistrate’s Court has postponed the case of a man accused of killing his wife to November 28.
On Wednesday the case against Gauteng traffic officer Zakhele Bennet Hlongwane (53) was postponed for further investigations while the court awaited the results of post-mortem and ballistic tests.
Hlongwane, facing charges for the premeditated murder of his wife Tili Desire Ngobeni (33), pointing a firearm and housebreaking with intent to kill, was denied bail on July 19.
The state alleges that on April 1, around 05:00, the accused went to Ngobeni’s residence in Mamelodi.
On arrival, he broke open the door and shot her multiple times in the presence of their five- and three-year-old children.
An hour later, Hlongwane handed himself over to Mamelodi police and has been in custody since.
In court, Hlongwane asked to be released on bail because, while he had an opportunity to flee after committing the offences, he had handed himself to police.
He also said he needed to take care of his 15-year-old daughter and feared that criminals would continue to vandalize his residence in his absence.
However, state prosecutor Tshilidzi Mugeri opposed the bail application, saying the accused knew the witnesses, therefore granting him bail would endanger their lives, and that the court had the duty and responsibility to ensure their safety.
Mugeri also said the court should take into consideration the prevalence of this kind of offence, as South Africa has a notably high rate of femicide cases.
He also said the court should ensure that such murderers are not granted bail.
Magistrate Mlombo ruled that she believed the state had a strong case against the accused and that his minor daughter being affected by his incarceration wasn’t exceptional.
She said the fact that the accused had handed himself over to police wasn’t exceptional either, but rather the right thing to do.
Mlombo also found there was a likelihood that Hlongwane would evade trial because if he is found guilty, the prescribed minimum sentence would be life imprisonment.
She said the accused failed to convince the court that exceptional circumstances exist or that it was in the interest of justice to warrant his release on bail.
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