Durban — A 28-year-old man accused of strangling his 8-year-old son and who had previously abandoned his bail will next week go ahead with his bail bid in the Pinetown Magistrate’s Court.
Siyabonga Innocent Shezi is alleged to have beaten and strangled Sfundo Sibisi in the Shongweni area in January 2023 three months before his ninth birthday and a few days before his son was to enter Grade 3 at Umthala Primary School in KwaNdengezi.
Shezi was arrested on the day of the alleged murder. At the time, he tendered a confession and did a pointing-out of the scene to police. Following his court appearance, Shezi chose to abandon his bail application.
However, after his matter had been transferred from the district to the regional court, which is the trial court, and after a pre-trial conference was held, Shezi in an about-turn indicated that he wanted to exercise his right to apply for bail.
His bail application was meant to have been heard by Magistrate L Gurie this week. However, it had to be postponed to next week as the investigating officer was unavailable to testify.
“This case was for bail today, I ask that it be postponed to next Tuesday. The investigating officer, Sergeant Zondi, can’t be here. I spoke to him yesterday (Monday) and he indicated that they all have been election deployed. I prefer to have the IO present to testify for bail,” said State prosecutor Andre De Nysschen.
He also said that the State would be opposing Shezi’s bail bid.
Speaking after Shezi’s court appearance, Sfundo’s mother, Nonhlanhla Sibisi, who did not attend court for the bail hearing postponement, said she could not bring herself to be at court for the bail application.
“After the last occasion where it was said that he would be applying for bail and seeing him relaxed and smiling while in the dock, I just couldn’t be at court for the bail application. I’m furious that he would want to be released on bail. Even when the child was apologising, he said he continued to strangle him,” said Sibisi.
According to Sibisi, she had been at work on the day her son was killed and Shezi allegedly phoned her telling her that he had murdered their child.
Shezi allegedly told Sibisi to go and look for their son in the bushes in Shongweni before animals fed on his body. That was when Sibisi phoned her family in Shongweni Dam asking them to go to the area and indeed they found the boy’s body.
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Daily News