Pretoria – Junior Blue Bulls rugby player Ngcebo Thusi who is accused of killing her girlfriend Ntokozo Xaba, briefly appeared at the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court on Thursday for his bail application after he had previously abandoned it.
Thusi has been charged with murder and defeating the administration of justice.
On 30 March, Thusi appeared in court where his matter was postponed to 2 June for further investigation.
However, he brought an application before his scheduled appearance.
IOL reached out to the National Prosecuting Authority’s (NPA) spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana for more information, but efforts to get hold of her were unsuccessful.
However, its understood that the postponement was made to inform all parties involved about Thusi’s decision.
Xaba, 20, who was in her third year of studies in Integrated Communications at the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) was found dead in her room with stab wounds to her neck on February 2.
According to the police, Thusi, 23, was the last person to be seen with Xaba at her student residence Ekhaya Junction in Pretoria Gardens.
Meanwhile, the EFF said Thusi should be denied bail saying he is not aware of the gravity of the crime he allegedly committed.
“We discouraged any aspiration by the defence to make a bail application at a later stage and our words seem to have fallen in deaf ears,” said EFF Gauteng chairperson Nkululeko Dunga.
Dunga said by denying Thusi bail, a strong message will be sent to him and other potential perpetrators that gender based violence and femicide have no place in society.
“This decision must also be made as a response to the general belief that by easily granting bail applications, and failing timeously to prosecute and convict GBV perpetrators, the courts and the entire criminal justice system, are enablers of these heinous crimes,” he said.
IOL