By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The man alleged to be behind the Lusikisiki massacre in which 18 people were gunned down on September 28 has abandoned bail.
Siphosoxolo Myekethe made a brief appearance in the Lusikisiki Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday.
He is charged with 18 counts of murder and illegal possession of a firearm. He is accused of killing the victims with an AK-47-style rifle.
The mass shootings happened in Ngobozana village in the rural outskirts of the town of Lusikisiki in Eastern Cape province.
Fullview learnt that the victims were murdered while preparing for umombulo, a tradition in IsiXhosa culture that marks the end of a mourning period.
The victims were shot in two homes belonging to sisters in the same neighborhood. The victims were 15 women, two men and a teenage boy.
Four people were killed in the first home and 13 in the second home, according to police. The 18th victim died in hospital. A 2-month-old baby survived the shootings.
Myekethe was arrested at his home in Mthimde Location, Mamfengwini Area, in the district of Lusikisiki on Monday, 7 October.
The case was postponed to 26 November 2024.
The National Prosecuting Authority’s (NPA) spokesperson, Luxolo Tyali, stated that even if the accused reapplies for bail, the state would strongly oppose it, citing the severity of the case.
A statement from the NPA revealed that Myekethe had been released on parole in May 2023, after serving 21 years of a life sentence for murder and escape from lawful custody. Now, he stands accused of one of the most shocking mass killings in recent memory.