Former Blue Bulls junior rugby player reconsiders his abandoned bail application
|Published
TUT student murder suspect Ngcebo Thusi appears in the magistrate’s court for bail hearing. Picture: Jacques Naude/African News Agency(ANA)
Ngcebo Thusi, the junior Blue Bulls player, appeared at the Pretoria Magistrate’s court for allegedly murdering his girlfriend, Ntokozo Xaba.
Thusi, who had previously abandoned his bail application, appeared on Thursday for his bail application.
On 30 March, Thusi appeared in court, where his matter was postponed to 2 June for further investigation. He later brought an application before his scheduled appearance, and the matter was postponed to 4 May 2023.
Thusi faces charges of premeditated murder and defeating justice after Xaba’s lifeless body was found at her off-campus apartment the morning after she had been socialising with friends at her place.
Thusi is said to have been the last person she was seen with before her friends and paramedics made the gruesome discovery of her body.
The National Prosecuting Authority’s (NPA) spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana indicated that the state would be opposing his bail application due to the nature of the crime.
“The accused is facing a schedule six offence. Through the investigation and evidence that is in the docket, it suggests that the murder was premeditated.”
Last month, Thusi’s matter was postponed to 2 June, but Mahanjana pointed out that he made the application during the break.
“During the postponement break, he did indicate that he wanted to apply, and he did try to bring his bail application. However, the magistrate then ruled that all parties involved should be informed that the accused intends to apply for bail. Hence then, the matter was postponed to today,” Mahanjana said.
During his previous appearance, gender-based violence organisations protested outside the court, demanding that he is denied bail.