Cape Town - One of the two suspects linked to the shooting at a barber shop which left three children dead in Khayelitsha said he was nowhere near the scene on June 8.
Sithisa Masiko made the statement as he appeared in court with Athule Mtsha yesterday on charges of murder, attempted murder and illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition.
The duo were arrested after three children, aged 4, 10 and 12, and a 30-year-old man, were killed at the barber shop in Site C.
In a courtroom packed with the accused and victims’ family members, Masiko, through his lawyer, said he was in Brackenfell at the time of the shooting. “There is footage of my client. He was in Brackenfell at the time of the commission of this crime.”
Both accused indicated they would lodge a bail application, set to be heard on July 2 and 5.
National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila said the State would oppose the Schedule 6 bail application as it believed their release would endanger public safety; they would commit Schedule 1 offences, attempt to evade justice, and interfere with and intimidate witnesses.
The State also believes their release on bail will undermine the criminal justice system and may lead to public disorder. “The State will provide facts which link the accused to the charges preferred against them, on June 24.
“Masiko’s legal representative asked the court to instruct the investigating officer to help them obtain video footage which will show his client was out of the area where the incident happened. That is his client’s alibi.
“The State agreed to help obtain the footage. After the media applied to record the proceedings, the court ruled that the faces of the legal representatives and State advocate not be published.IIt also ordered the faces of the accused not to be published due to the sensitive stage of the investigation. This may change at a later stage.”
The grandmother of one of the victims, Sheila Dladlu, was in the public gallery.
She became emotional at the sight of the two accused men in the dock.
Cape Argus