The fifth and final suspect in the gruesome murder case of a 29-year-old Extension 6 man, whose body was discovered wrapped in a carpet floating in the Zion dam last week, has handed himself over to police following the arrests of his four co-accused on Sunday, 9 October.
The fifth and final suspect in the gruesome murder case of a 29-year-old Extension 6 man, whose body was discovered wrapped in a carpet floating in the Zion dam last week, has handed himself over to police following the arrests of his four co-accused on Sunday, 9 October.
The fifth man to be arrested in connection with the horrific murder of Thembelani Qwakanisa is a Rhodes University student.
According to people close to the case, Qwakanisa was allegedly cruelly tortured for hours before being killed. Sources close to the case told Grocott’s Mail that Qwakanisa had been accused by the suspects of stealing a laptop.
Police confirmed yesterday that a Grahamstown man who is studying at Rhodes University had handed himself over to police on Monday, 10 October after it emerged that he was being sought in connection with the murder.
Meanwhile, on Monday 10 October, Akhona Onceya and Simakee Onceya, Siviwe Gqotholo and Mzwanele Maki made a brief first appearance in the Grahamstown Magistrate’s Court to face murder charges. The case was postponed until Monday 17 October for a formal bail application. They remain in custody. All the suspects applied for legal representation from state attorneys.
Grahamstown police spokesperson Captain Mali Govender confirmed that the man had handed himself over to the SAPS on Monday afternoon.
On Monday a group of residents from various areas in Joza marched from Extension 9 to the magistrate's court in an effort to oppose bail being granted to all four suspects. After the case was postponed for a formal bail application, the group converged outside court where they discussed plans for another march on Monday to oppose bail.
Police received a report of a body in the Zion dam in Extension 6 last Wednesday 5 October.
In a statement issued on Sunday 9 October, Govender said four suspects were arrested after intense investigations.
In our Friday 7 October edition, Grocott's Mail reported that the identity of the person whose body was found in Zion Dam in Extension 6 on Wednesday morning had not yet been established, nor had the cause of his death.
Community members said a man passing by the dam had seen the body in the water and told community members in the area.
Residents went to look and the police were called to the scene.
By the time Grocott's Mail reached the site around 11.30am on Wednesday 5 October, police had cordoned off the area from both ends of the bank.
In a statement on Wednesday, Govender said that at approximately 11am police were called out following a report of a body in a dam in Extension 6, Joza. "The SAPS responded and police divers retrieved the body of a male wrapped in a carpet.”
