Durban — A Pinetown magistrate has denied bail to a murder-accused taxi owner because he believes he would endanger State witnesses and could commit similar offences.
Samkelo Lucky Zondi, 34, faces charges in the Pinetown Magistrates Court of murder, four counts of attempted murder and being in possession of an unlicensed firearm and ammunition.
According to the State, the deceased had been with other occupants in a blue car parked outside the Pinetown police station in October.
The men were eating lunch in the car when a grey Mercedes-Benz parked opposite them and two gunmen alighted and opened fire.
It is alleged one of the occupants managed to get out of the vehicle, while another occupant returned fire.
Zondi was identified by a witness as the driver of the assailants’ vehicle.
Zondi was arrested on December 7 for the October shooting and was charged with four counts of attempted murder and one of murder.
The court heard that Zondi was released on bail in March for another incident that took place in February, where he was charged with two counts of murder and attempted murder.
In his bail application on Friday, Zondi told the court he was self-employed, owned four taxis, and earned about R40 000 a month. He could afford bail of R8 000.
He said his employees and his four minor children depended on him for their livelihoods and income.
Zondi told the court he had an alibi and disputed the results of the identification parade held by police.
Magistrate SB Ngcobo said the burden had been on Zondi to prove that exceptional circumstances exist to be released on bail. Ngcobo said the ID parade made the State’s case strong.
“The State has made submissions and suggested if the accused is released on bail there is a likelihood the accused will endanger and influence the State witness and would cause public disturbance as innocents are caught in the crossfire during these shootings,” Ngcobo said.
“The applicant’s alibi is not an iron-cast alibi on the basis that the applicant’s alibi is his girlfriend or romantic partner and to me, at this stage, such an alibi holds little weight.”
Daily News