By Johnathan Paoli
The three men accused of the kidnapping and brutal murder of a family of seven in Newark, KwaZulu-Natal, have abandoned their bail application in the KwaDukuza Magistrate’s Court, as public anger over the killings continues to intensify.
The accused, Bongumenzi Mpungose, Linda Mthiyane, and Mthandeni Mthiyane, appeared briefly in court on Tuesday, where their legal representatives indicated they would no longer pursue bail at this stage.
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The men face 17 charges, including housebreaking with intent to rob, robbery with aggravating circumstances, kidnapping, rape, premeditated murder and possession of an unlicensed firearm.
Outside court, scores of community members, political party supporters, and officials from the Community Safety and Liaison department gathered in protest, demanding justice for the victims and opposing any possibility of bail.
Among those present in court were Premier Thamsanqa Ntuli and the province’s acting deputy police commissioner for crime detection, Major General Anthony Gopaul.
The victims, Alan and Sandy Monswamy, their children Kraidon and Shamarie, and relatives Cliffy Padayachee, Mooniamma Padayachee and Mariamma Appanah, were abducted from their home in Newark last Tuesday.
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The suspects allegedly broke into the family home, subjected them to prolonged terror before transporting them to Melmoth.
It was further alleged that one of the suspects, Mpungose, raped 20-year-old Shamarie Monswamy at the house and again at a second location.
Investigators further state that the suspects forced at least three victims to hand over banking details and personal identification numbers.
After obtaining the information, the attackers killed the family, with three victims being shot, and four stabbed to death.
The arrests followed a swift, multi-unit police operation launched after a domestic worker discovered the home ransacked and the family missing.
Two suspects were apprehended in the Hlomendlini area on Wednesday afternoon, one found in possession of a victim’s cellphone.
A third suspect was later arrested in Sundumbili, where police recovered a firearm, and eleven cellphones in total.
Police have confirmed that one of the accused had previously been employed by the family.
The suspects later led investigators to a remote area in Melmoth where the bodies were found.
A joint funeral service was held for the family at Stanger High School on Sunday.
Speaking outside the court, Premier Ntuli expressed his disappointment at the young ages of the accused (21, 26, and 28), stressing the need to find ways to dissuade the youth from crime.
The case was postponed for further investigations, with a date to be determined.
