The case of the man accused of murdering 35-year-old Intercape bus driver, Bangikhaya Machana who was shot in April this year, has been postponed to 8 September for a bail application as his legal representative was not present in court.
28-year-old Unathi Sitsili briefly appeared in the Bishop
Lavis Magistrates Court on Thursday and is charged with one count of murder and
three of attempted murder. He was arrested by a team of SAPS Western Cape
serious violent crime detectives in Klapmuts in the Cape Winelands last month.
The Western Cape’s Mobility MEC, Daylin Mitchell, attended Thursday’s
court proceedings
“The targeted attacks on public transport operators are criminal
and I want to see justice prevail. The arrest of this suspect is one step in the
right direction and I am grateful for this breakthrough and progress made by SAPS
in the investigation. I personally attended the court case today to reaffirm the
Western Cape Government’s support to the South African Police Services in bringing
criminals to book. We will track this case and many others in court and continue
to follow up with SAPS until there is a successful conviction.
‘’I have a responsibility to ensure that commuters are transported
in safety and dignity. Attacks on public transport operators put the safety and
dignity of our people at risk. We refuse to be idle bystanders and will
continue to connect the dots between cases in different clusters and even
different provinces,’’ he added.
Meanwhile, the Western Cape’s Police Oversight and
Community Safety MEC, Reagen Allen said the Western Cape Government activated
court watching briefs to monitor court cases linked to attacks on public
transport operators across the province.
“The appearance of a suspect in connection with the fatal
shooting attacks on Intercape buses is but the first step in ensuring justice
is served. As part of our whole of government approach in ensuring our commuters,
and the public
in general are safe, we have activated our court watching briefs unit to monitor
this matter as it unfolds in court. It’s vital that there are no loopholes in this
case, and the court watching briefs unit will provide feedback in this regard.
‘’No one has the right to hold our commuters, communities
or sectors of our economy hostage for their own benefit. I once again would
like to thank SAPS for the sterling job they did in tracing and apprehending
this suspect. As court proceedings unfold, I trust that the judge will see the
severity of the matter and deny bail should it be applied for,” added Allen.
Done By: Mitchum George
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