By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
File Photo.
The man accused of killing University of Fort Hare fourth-year LLB student Nosicelo Mtebeni, 23, abandoned his bail application at the East London magistrate’s court on Monday morning.
Alutha Pasile, 25, made a brief appearance in front of A court magistrate Rochelle Sam.
Pasile was arrested last week at his flat after Mtebeni’s dismembered body was found in a suitcase and black bag on a Quigney pavement on Thursday.
He faces a charge of murder.
“There is more evidence to be collected. At the moment we have witnesses, one witness said she saw him leaving with the bags which carried the body parts,” NPA spokesperson Anelisa Ngcakani said.
And also his confession, but there is more evidence that needs to be collected.”
Hundreds of people, including politicians, residents and students, protested outside the court to oppose bail.
The case has been postponed to September 28 for further investigation.
Meanwhile Higher Education, Science and Innovation Minister, Blade Nzimande, has conveyed his heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of a fourth year law student at the University of Fort Hare, who was allegedly murdered by her boyfriend.
The Minister conveyed his condolences to the family of Nosicelo Mtebeni whose body was found mutilated in a suitcase in the suburb of Quigney in East London.
Nzimande has condemned barbaric and shameful acts committed against women, both in institutions of learning and in society in general.
“Our society cannot continue harbouring such disgraceful people and criminals, who are hell-bent to tear the moral fibre of our society apart. What is so even saddening is that the suspect would even commit such a gruesome act as we mark and celebrate Women’s Month,” Nzimande said at the weekend.
He said that he trusted that the criminal justice system will ensure speedy prosecution. This as a suspect has since been arrested and is expected to appear in court on Monday.
The Minister said the department remains committed to creating a safer and caring post-school education and training environment, with a concerted focus on safety and protection of all in the campuses, in particular female students and staff.
The department will also release a set of instruments that will further strengthen the realisation of the sectoral Gender-Based Violence (GBV) Policy Framework.
Published by Minister Blade Nzimande in July 2020, the Policy Framework intends to assist post-school education and training (PSET) institutions address the occurrence of GBV, and to provide a monitoring instrument to the department to assess the implementation of the Policy Framework.
The Policy Framework aims to:
- Conceptualise GBV and define its manifestation in terms of existing laws and policies;
- Detail the international and national regulatory framework compelling institutional and departmental responses to GBV;
- Provide guidance around the structures, mechanisms and processes that PSET institutions must put in place to address GBV;
- Compel PSET institutions to both create awareness of GBV, related policies and prevent incidents of GBV; and
- Set out a framework for oversight of the Department and PSET institutions’ development and implementation of GBV policy to address GBV in PSET system.
These instruments, which will be released on Friday, were developed by the PSET Gender Based Violence Technical Task Team, which is led by HIGHER HEALTH.
The task team comprises student leadership; vice chancellors of 26 public universities; rectors of 50 Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges; the Commission of Gender Equality, Department of Women, Youth and People with Disabilities; South African Police Services; SA Medical Research Council; and the executive leadership from the department of Higher Education and Training, amongst others.