News / National
Zimbabwean man accused of murdering 7 people denied bail in SA
04 Feb 2019 at 10:32hrs | Views
A Zimbabwean man Fita Khupe who is accused of murder was denied bail on Monday at the Protea Magistrate's Court in Soweto on Monday.
The magistrate said he is a flight risk and might run away to Zimbabwe or he might be killed by members of the community.
Khupe is accused of murdering four children and three women all belonging to the Khoza family in their home in Vlakfontein, South Africa in October last year.
His co-accused Ernest Mabaso allegedly committed suicide in January while in police custody.
Khupe had been in a longstanding relationship with one of the Khoza women who were found murdered and buried under piles of sand inside the house in October 2018.
Neighbours had complained of a strong stench coming from the house and on October 29 2018, police who reported to the house found the bodies of the seven family members. Some had been buried under piles of sand in a locked bedroom inside the house while others had been in an outside room, also covered in sand.
Khupe and his co-accused Ernest Mabaso were later arrested for the crime.
Twenty-seven-year-old Mabaso had then submitted both an affidavit and confession statement wherein he had admitted to killing the seven Khoza family members and raping three of them.
He claimed to have been acting under the instruction and threats of Khupe.
Mabaso had been living with the Khoza family for several months after fooling them into believing that he was a long lost relative a plot he says, was orchestrated by Khupe and other unidentified people from Cape Town.
The magistrate said he is a flight risk and might run away to Zimbabwe or he might be killed by members of the community.
Khupe is accused of murdering four children and three women all belonging to the Khoza family in their home in Vlakfontein, South Africa in October last year.
His co-accused Ernest Mabaso allegedly committed suicide in January while in police custody.
Khupe had been in a longstanding relationship with one of the Khoza women who were found murdered and buried under piles of sand inside the house in October 2018.
Neighbours had complained of a strong stench coming from the house and on October 29 2018, police who reported to the house found the bodies of the seven family members. Some had been buried under piles of sand in a locked bedroom inside the house while others had been in an outside room, also covered in sand.
Khupe and his co-accused Ernest Mabaso were later arrested for the crime.
Twenty-seven-year-old Mabaso had then submitted both an affidavit and confession statement wherein he had admitted to killing the seven Khoza family members and raping three of them.
He claimed to have been acting under the instruction and threats of Khupe.
Mabaso had been living with the Khoza family for several months after fooling them into believing that he was a long lost relative a plot he says, was orchestrated by Khupe and other unidentified people from Cape Town.
Source - Byo24News
